Vagina MuseumOLD THREAD REPOST
Good afternoon, who would like to hear about a controversy about sending nudes into outer space?
Well, we're going to tell you about a controversy about sending NUDES into OUTER SPACE...
In 1972 and 1973, the two Pioneer spacecraft were sent out to explore the outer solar system. Being the first human-built objects to be able to achieve escape velocity from our solar system, it was decided to include a message should any aliens intercept them.
Carl Sagan was approached to design a plaque with a message from humanity, and Linda Sagan created the artwork, and the plaques were fixed to both spaceships.
Here's the plaque affixed to the craft, and let's take a closer look at the contents.
There's a schematic of hyperfine transition of hydrogen, a pulsar map to find our sun, a representation of the craft and our solar system... and some naked people saying hi.
Yep, we sent nudes and a map to our house into space. And this was controversial for quite a few reasons, even though it was probably proper Starfleet protocol under Captain Kirk.
There were negative reactions to the nudity on the Pioneer plaque. When the media published images of the design, the genitals and nipples were obscured as obscene.
You may also notice something missing on the woman. It's all mons with no labia.
According to engineer Robert S. Kraemer's memoir, the original design for the Pioneer plaque did indeed contain a line indicating the labia on the figure, but it was erased in order to get approval for the artwork. Carl Sagan also believed a line indicating the vulva would not be approved of NASA, though he added that part of the design was that ancient Greek sculptures do not include the line.
A stylised and simple yet accurate representation of the vulva was considered too obscene to send into space - and despite all this, the image was still considered obscene! (not to get horny on main, but if any aliens follow the map we sent up with the Pioneers, they're going to be in for a surprise when they see a naked vulva.)
Carl Sagan was later involved in another message from earth to any extraterrestrials: the Voyager Golden Record. With this, 155 images and sounds, including photographs, were sent with the spacecraft. Sagan and colleagues were not allowed to include photographs of nude humans.
The Golden Record includes silhouette drawings of the human form. There are also diagrams which show a representation sex organs. However, these aren't publicly available for view due to copyright.
Other criticisms of the Pioneer plaques have been made - with the shading and hair depicted, the figures look white rather than representing all of humanity. There's also a criticism of the pose: the man is waving in greeting, while the woman is just standing there.
Perhaps learning from the controversies, or perhaps chickening out, the most recent mission which will one day leave our solar system, New Horizons, doesn't contain any naked pictures whatsoever.
crAshBanzai