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> NASA, a government agency as well-known as Coca-Cola back in his little Brazilian hometown. I've noticed this when I travel--all over the world, I see people

> NASA, a government agency as well-known as Coca-Cola back in his little Brazilian hometown. I've noticed this when I travel--all over the world, I see people wearing NASA t-shirts, everywhere I've been: Europe, Asia, South America. It seems like the NASA meatball is globally popular. Whatever the Americans are paying for NASA, it must be an absolute bargain in terms of the good press and soft power it wins them worldwide. Can you imagine any other foreign government agency that people would be eager to have on their shirt? Was Roscosmos similarly popular during the Space Race?

kilroy123 8y ago
I too have noticed this and have been very surprised as well.
- matt4077 8y ago
  I don’t know why anyone would be surprised. NASA is cool. I’m German, and I wouldn’t mind wearing a shirt, although I’m slightly afraid it may be misunderstood as a claim to have worked there. This is the so-called “soft power” that’s been in the news lately. Do I want my countr to be an ally with the one planting their flag on the moon and llettting it slowly turn white? Hell, yeah! It’s also a good example of why political decisions matter: it took quite a bit of convincing to keep NASA civilian when it first came about.
jdhn 8y ago
>I see people wearing NASA t-shirts, everywhere I've been: Europe, Asia, South America. I for one have never seen anyone in Europe wearing a NASA t-shirt, and that includes American tourists.
- stackola 8y ago
  You're not looking hard enough. I see NASA shirts at least once a week here in Germany
  - saiya-jin 8y ago
    Well I haven't noticed any of those either, ever. Its true I didn't look for it specifically, but anywhere outside US this would stick out at least a bit, especially for a space nut like me. And I also include all the travelling I ever done, on 6 continents, sometimes for months in a row when you mean tons of folks including US citizens. Neither I ever saw it in Geneva in Switzerland where I live, which is home to CERN folks, many UN/NGO folks, banker folks, or generally quite international folks. Maybe you keep seeing 2-3 people in your vicinity over and over?
deleted 8y ago
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kilroy123 8y ago

I too have noticed this and have been very surprised as well.

matt4077 8y ago
I don’t know why anyone would be surprised. NASA is cool. I’m German, and I wouldn’t mind wearing a shirt, although I’m slightly afraid it may be misunderstood as a claim to have worked there. This is the so-called “soft power” that’s been in the news lately. Do I want my countr to be an ally with the one planting their flag on the moon and llettting it slowly turn white? Hell, yeah! It’s also a good example of why political decisions matter: it took quite a bit of convincing to keep NASA civilian when it first came about.

jdhn 8y ago

>I see people wearing NASA t-shirts, everywhere I've been: Europe, Asia, South America. I for one have never seen anyone in Europe wearing a NASA t-shirt, and that includes American tourists.

stackola 8y ago
You're not looking hard enough. I see NASA shirts at least once a week here in Germany
- saiya-jin 8y ago
  Well I haven't noticed any of those either, ever. Its true I didn't look for it specifically, but anywhere outside US this would stick out at least a bit, especially for a space nut like me. And I also include all the travelling I ever done, on 6 continents, sometimes for months in a row when you mean tons of folks including US citizens. Neither I ever saw it in Geneva in Switzerland where I live, which is home to CERN folks, many UN/NGO folks, banker folks, or generally quite international folks. Maybe you keep seeing 2-3 people in your vicinity over and over?

deleted 8y ago

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