That time NASA totally beat the Navy at epic graffiti

The Navy defaced the sky. NASA did it on another planet.
We expect this behavior from the Curiosity rover, but not Spirit. (NASA)

The skies over Okanagon, Wash. got a little more hilarious in 2017 when naval aviators on a training flight drew a giant penis in the sky using contrails. It’s now known forever as the “skydick” incident, and the pilots responsible were immediately grounded. It was an epic troll, at best. It was, however, well short of the graffiti record set by NASA four years prior.


Good effort, Top Gun. (Twitter)

“The American people rightfully expect that those who wear the Wings of Gold exhibit a level of maturity commensurate with the missions and aircraft with which they’ve been entrusted,” said Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker after the incident. “Naval aviation continually strives to foster an environment of dignity and respect. Sophomoric and immature antics of a sexual nature have no place in Naval aviation today.”

Those are some big words for a service that still hasn’t fully recovered from the Tailhook incident.

Meanwhile, over at NASA, there was a Mars Rover that made history by accidentally drawing its own phallic tracks on the red planet. The NASA rover Spirit landed on Mars in 2004 and was declared dead in 2010. However, in 2013, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory released an image taken by Spirit of its tracks after it made a turn on the planet’s surface.

Even though the photo was almost nine years old, the internet still had a field day with it.

NASA’s Spirit Mars rover created these tracks shortly after touching down in 2004 to execute a turn, not deface the surface like a Marine Corps bathroom. (NASA/JPL/Cornell)

While NASA totally outdid the Navy in epic penis-drawing, they both received the same, polarized replies. When NASA released the image, the internet-wide response was either one of juvenile glee or calls for people to “grow up.” The response from the Navy’s “sky dick” equally contrasting — the brass were outraged while veterans and civilians were largely amused.

Dear @USNavy

We loved the Sky Dick. Please go easy on the pilot.

Love,
All Americans

— Tracy Jeffords (@TracyJeffords) November 17, 2017

That’s one way to bridge the civilian-military divide.

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Blake Stilwell

Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran

Blake Stilwell is a writer with degrees in Graphic Design, Television & Film, Journalism, Public Relations, International Relations, and Business Administration. He is a former combat photographer with experience in politics, entertainment, business, military, and government. His work has been featured on ABC News, HBO Sports, NBC, Military.com, Military Times, Recoil Magazine, Together We Served, and more. He is based in Ohio, but is often found elsewhere.


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