It was the sort of photo that screamed 'caption competition', and the internet was happy to oblige.

During a visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US vice president Mike Pence solemnly reached out and touched the Orion spacecraft's titanium forward bay cover, placing his full palm just below a sign that read: "Critical Space Flight Hardware 'DO NOT TOUCH.' "

Mike Brown, a photographer for Reuters, captured the moment and his photo was soon devoured by the internet - eventually forcing NASA to release a statement saying that it was alright for Pence to touch the space hardware and prompting the vice president to post a self-deprecating response in which he blamed former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio.

Several people compared the photo to one of Trump touching a glowing orb during his visit to Saudi Arabia, and an iOS developer noted that three bolts below Pence's hand formed "an appalled face."

And thanks to Photoshop, Pence was suddenly spotted in an Indiana Jones scene, stroking the belly of a reptile, next to a sunbathing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and touching MC Hammer as the Hammer sang "U Can't Touch This."

Several people also tied the photo to recent reports that Pence calls his wife "mother" and that he never dines alone with women. Writer Shauna Wright tweeted: "Suddenly I understand why he won't have dinner with a woman who isn't his wife."

Hours later, author Jason Miller of Nashville tweeted this caption: "Pence looked left. Then right. Mother wasn't anywhere around. He smiled to himself. He would touch."

Friday afternoon, Pence got in on the joke.

And he even followed it up with another gag.

NASA then reassured the vice president that he did nothing wrong, before following it up with a full statement.  

Senator Rubio also got in on the joke. 

The Washington Post