--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: NASA's training philosophy is \"no…" description: "\"NASA's training philosophy is \"no surprises.\" So what they did is put a simulator on Earth where it looks exactly the same as a shuttle toilet and they..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/mike-mullane-40841_bottom_nasa-s-training-philosophy-is-no-surpris_836855.jpg" --- # NASA's training philosophy is "no surprises." So what they… ![“NASA's training philosophy is "no surprises." So what they did is put a simulator on Earth where it looks exactly the same as a shuttle toilet and they put a camera down in the bottom of the opening for solid-waste collection, with a light that basically illuminates your asshole.” quote by Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/mike-mullane-40841_bottom_nasa-s-training-philosophy-is-no-surpris_836855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/mike-mullane-40841_bottom_nasa-s-training-philosophy-is-no-surpris_836855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcc/mike-mullane-40841_bottom_nasa-s-training-philosophy-is-no-surpris_836855.jpg) > “NASA's training philosophy is "no surprises." So what they did is put a simulator on Earth where it looks exactly the same as a shuttle toilet and they put a camera down in the bottom of the opening for solid-waste collection, with a light that basically illuminates your asshole.” [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Training eliminates surprises by replicating real conditions, even the uncomfortable ones, to prepare crews for any scenario. **In simple terms:** Practice the worst to be ready for the real thing. Key Takeaway Embrace realistic training for safety. Themes preparation risk management attention to detail Mood pragmatic serious Type instructional cautionary When to use this quote - spaceflight rehearsals - medical emergency drills - industrial safety training - military exercises Key Concepts simulation human factors psychological resilience Questions to Reflect On - How far should realism go in training? - When does detail become distraction? A Different Perspective Over‑preparing can cause anxiety and resource waste. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cameras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cameras/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [NASA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasa/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Solid waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solid-waste/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [ The solid waste is returned to Earth with the shuttle. If we \[astronauts\] ever dump solid waste overboard, it's going to give new meaning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-solid-waste-is-returned-to-earth-with-the-shuttle-if-we/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [ The opening for solid waste is very small \[in the space ship\]. It's not toilet-bowl size. And aim is critical. To be honest with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-opening-for-solid-waste-is-very-small-in-the-space-ship-it-s-not/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [“Space Shuttle toilets have always been mounted on the floor, but you would not call them normal. The original shuttle toilet bowl featured a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/space-shuttle-toilets-have-always-been-mounted-on-the-floor-but-you/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“The Johnson Space Center “potty cam,” as it is more casually known, is an astronaut training aid. It provides a vivid, arresting perspective on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/the-johnson-space-center-potty-cam-as-it-is-more-casually-known-is-an/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“It is hardly surprising that the malodorous field of garbology has not attained the popularity of rocket science, oil exploration, or brain surgery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-y-tammemagi/it-is-hardly-surprising-that-the-malodorous-field-of-garbology-has/) Hans Y. Tammemagi > [ “a pig produces about four times as much solid waste as an average person, a typical CAFO \[Concentrated Animal Feed Operation\] of 5000 pigs… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-pig-produces-about-four-times-as-much-solid-waste-as-an-average/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Newspapers are technologically obsolete. 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And NASA has contributed to that confusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cunningham/but-when-it-comes-to-global-warming-the-public-at-large-really-doesn/) [Walter Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cunningham/) > [In 1966, NASA took over in space, and it has been a bureaucratic mess ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-yeager/in-1966-nasa-took-over-in-space-and-it-has-been-a-bureaucratic-mess/) [Chuck Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-yeager/) > [I'm absolutely compelled for NASA to send international astronauts to Mars to find out if Mars ever harbored life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-grunsfeld/i-m-absolutely-compelled-for-nasa-to-send-international-astronauts-to/) [John M. Grunsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-grunsfeld/) ## More by Mike Mullane > [ The opening for solid waste is very small \[in the space ship\]. It's not toilet-bowl size. And aim is critical. To be honest with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-opening-for-solid-waste-is-very-small-in-the-space-ship-it-s-not/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [ You can't put toilet paper in the toilet \[in the space ship\], so there's a separate vacuum can in front of you on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/you-can-t-put-toilet-paper-in-the-toilet-in-the-space-ship-so-there-s/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [In weightlessness, one of the physiological changes is a fluid shift. Your blood and fluid is equally distributed in your body. So that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/in-weightlessness-one-of-the-physiological-changes-is-a-fluid-shift/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [ In the space shuttle program, where we had males and females, I can tell you that nobody was doing that \[sex\] because there's absolutely… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/in-the-space-shuttle-program-where-we-had-males-and-females-i-can/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [If you look at astronauts closely, their eyes look kind of puffy. And it gives you this mild headache. 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So you can just imagine how crazy it is to get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/and-you-re-headed-to-a-place-with-no-bath-and-no-shower-so-you-can/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [ The solid waste is returned to Earth with the shuttle. If we \[astronauts\] ever dump solid waste overboard, it's going to give new meaning… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-solid-waste-is-returned-to-earth-with-the-shuttle-if-we/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) [Explore all 10 Mike Mullane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) ## More Bottom quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. 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