The second man in space had a wee wish—that he’d used the bathroom before blasting off

[Still Waters]

Three hours after entering his space capsule, delays in the launch had pushed astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr to the moment that surely every human has known at some point—the need to pee with no powder room in sight.

“The whole world is watching. JFK is watching. It’s the biggest moment of his career, and all he can think about is having to go to the bathroom.” That’s how Neal Thompson, Shepard’s biographer, describes the moment as the 37-year-old Mercury astronaut prepared to become the first American in space for his suborbital flight on May 5, 1961.

The entire journey was supposed to last a mere 15 minutes, so no plan had been implemented to address the possibility that the man might need a bathroom break. Shepard had eaten a hearty breakfast with coffee and juice, and taken his place in the cabin of Freedom 7 with the expectation that he’d take off and return to Earth long before he felt the call of nature. However, as delays dragged on, Shepard asked for permission to leave the ship and relieve himself. The answer he received was an emphatic “no.”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/second-man-space-had-wee-wish-that-he-had-bathroom-before-blasting-off-180980002/

Long Read

[quiXilver]

Always leave an empty stomach til midday!  Or at least until the tough part of the day is done.

 

[lightly]

A prime example of p*** poor planning.  

[khol]

hmmm  two seperate urges to go happening at the same time