A delayed first launch and an important lesson learned
On May 5, 1961, it was time to launch. Alan Shepard suited up, settled into the capsule, and prepared to be the first American in space. He waited for the countdown. And waited. NASA ground control, perhaps nervous about giving the “go,” or quadruple-checking every flight detail, delayed the launch for three hours. After a while, Shepard had to urinate. NASA hadn’t factored this into their plan since the flight was only supposed to be fifteen minutes. He notified fellow Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, “Man, I gotta pee.” As his bladder situation became critical, Shepard asked to urinate in his space suit. NASA refused, concerned about the wires in his suit needed to monitor his health. He couldn’t make it any further; NASA’s first astronaut had no choice but to make the flight in a urine-soaked suit. Since that day, astronauts have used specialized condoms or diapers for space flights.