I’ve just listened to this fascinating documentary produced by the BBC World Service about the women who sewed space suits for NASA from the Apollo missions onwards. They also sewed components for the spacecraft, such as insulation panels and heat shields.
It is a fascinating story. Many of the women were recruited from the lingerie industry, as they had the precision sewing skills needed for this highly technical application. The lives of astronauts literally depended on their ability to sew strong and precise seams — sometimes with tiny seam allowances — so there was an incredible pressure on them to get it right.
