
The Space Shuttle!
Technological wonder,
astronauts’ orbiting home,
covered with blankets…
Yes, each of the space shuttles had a coat of unique fabric panels for protection from the blazing heat of its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Who made them? How?
Jean grew up learning to sew and became a huge fan of NASA’s space program after men landed on the Moon when she was a young teen in Flint, Michigan.
But how could a girl without a college education ever work for NASA?
Years later, when her husband retired from the Navy, they settled in Florida near Cape Canaveral so she could see rockets and space shuttles launched.
Look at this news article! NASA employed seamstresses to construct the many-layered fireproof panels needed for each shuttle!
Jean immediately applied to join the team and began studying shuttle blueprints because every panel had to be uniquely shaped to fit its spot on the shuttle’s exterior.
She waited and applied again and waited – finally, she was called to join the Sew Sisters whose work kept shuttle astronauts safe during launch, orbit, and re-entry.
Different quilts for different protective purposes – against atmospheric friction, solar radiation, roaring engine noise.
The Sew Sisters had to create a pattern for each and every quilt section so all 1400 pieces fit perfectly around a shuttle’s curved outer skin.
Oh, no! Atlantis tore a blanket loose on take-off! The Sew Sisters rushed to test blankets with various repairs in a wind tunnel and while wearing bulky space-suit gloves.
Jean and the Sew Sisters anxiously watched as Atlantis’ on-board camera showed the astronauts fix their dangerous problem on a space walk, by using a surgical stapler!
A long-held dream, long-practiced skills, and persistence brought Jean into the Sew Sisters – now we know about their vital part in the Space Shuttle program, too.
What quiet behind-the-scenes work would you like to see in a picture book?
**kmm
Book info: Sew Sister: the Untold Story of Jean Wright and NASA’s Seamstresses / Elise Matich. Tilbury House Publishers, 2023. [author site https://elisematich.com/] [publisher site https://www.tilburyhouse.com/product-page/sew-sister] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.