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Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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90's Kid Space Program
NASA may not want to admit it, but at this point they ARE the 90's Kid Space Program.
Title text: NASA may not want to admit it, but at this point they ARE the 90's Kid Space Program.

Explanation

Ambox notice.png This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by an ORBITAL LAUNCH SYSTEM. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.

The "launch system" is just one of the rubber popper toys popular in the 1990s. These toys are little rubber hemispheres, about 1" (25 mm) in diameter and 1/8" (3 mm) thick. When turned inside-out and placed on a hard surface, they will, after a short wait, snap back to their original shape, popping up into the air. The joke is that kids who grew up with these toys will think they're a great idea to propel a space ship to orbit, when in fact the toys launch at several tens of kilometers per hour, far short of what is needed to reach orbital speed.

The title text implies that many working now at NASA are/were in fact 90's kids. Both categories would include Randall, as he was born in 1984 and previously worked at NASA.

Transcript

Ambox notice.png This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks.

[A command and service module are attached by four long trusses to a giant popper. The popper is in its inverted configuration, ready to pop.]

Caption: The 90's Kid Space Program prepares for their first orbital launch


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