Do NASA astronauts pack heat, just in case?
So I’ve seen this image floating around the web captioned variously as “Astronaut Ron Garan with raygun, prepared to defend Earth from alien invasion”
But, sorry to bust your bubble
The shot actually came from Space Shuttle Mission STS-135 and the item is a pistol-grip tool.
ISS028-E-016066 (12 July 2011) — NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 28 flight engineer, checks out tools in the International Space Station’s Quest airlock prior to the July 12 spacewalk he performed outside the docked station and space shuttle Atlantis with station crewmate Mike Fossum (out of frame). A short time later the two joined forces with supportive crewmates inside the spacecraft to complete some needed chores during the six and half hour spacewalk. Astronaut Ron Garan checks out his pistol grip tool in the International Space Station’s Quest airlock prior to his July 12 spacewalk on July 12, 2011