Did you know that the white material on the outside of space shuttles was not metal or glass but actually fabric? Specialized quilts, two inches thick, covered the space shuttles and protected the astronauts from deadly heat and radiation. Jean Wright was one of the eighteen “Sew Sisters” who crafted these thermal blankets, mostly by hand, with incredible precision and skill.
From sending letters to Johnson Space Center as a child with crayon-drawn patch ideas, Jean had always aimed to work for NASA, patiently applying and eagerly awaiting for the job she was meant to have, one that would help secure – in a literal sense- the materials that would protect the vehicles carrying the astronauts to space, and secure her place in NASA history… this is the conversation that you must not miss.
On this very special 200th EPISODE of the Casual Space Podcast, Beth enjoys speaking with Jean Wright, sharing her inspiring stories from her time at NASA as a “Sew Sister.”
Together, Beth and Jean discuss stories from Jean’s newly-released book, Sew Sister: The Untold Story of Jean Wright and NASA's Seamstresses. The book, just like this conversation, unveils both the grandeur of space flight and the intimacy of a needle and thread, and the story of Jean’s childhood passion for space and sewing, and her fascinating work for NASA’s shuttle program.
Listen as Beth learns the definition of what schnibbles* are. Note: It's a variant of schnibbles, a far more common term for “scraps,” or “small pieces,” which is heard in parts of the United States that were settled largely by German immigrants. The term comes from German Schnippel, meaning “scraps.”
Imagine having the task of cutting the fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer that went to the Moon with Neil Armstrong, and several shuttle flight- so it could be displayed at the University of Cincinnati . And guess what kind of fabric the Wright Brother’s used for the first flight? A kind of high-end, expensive fabric women would use for their undergarments!
“I’m all about fabric!” – Jean Wright, Casual Space Podcast
Jean Wright is a former NASA Aerospace Composite Technician- a NASA seamstress. Jean worked with the United Space Alliance at the Thermal Protection System Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of 18 seamstresses in this critical role, Jean and her co-workers dubbed their group, “The Sew Sisters”, using machines and hand stitching to build, create and repair thermal protection flight hardware and parachutes. Wright worked on the Endeavor, Atlantis and Discovery space shuttle missions. She also worked on test parachutes and aft-skirt blankets for the Orion spacecraft. When she’s not sewing, Jean is a photographer for SpaceUpClose; www.spaceupclose.com
Beth’s Note: I especially loved “Big Mo,” “Sweet Sue”, and “Lurch” - the names of the sewing machines used by Jean and her team at NASA (some from 1914)!
More about Jean:
Jean says she’s retired, but she’s ever the most incredible NASA advocate, photographer, speaker and representative. Jean remains involved with NASA as a Docent for the Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center. She is a member of NASA’s Speakers Bureau, representing the organization at civic, professional, educational and public events. She has been a keynote speaker at the MQX Quilt Festival in 2018, Women’s History Month at KSCVC in 2018, Family Day at the Udvar-Hazy National Air & Space Museum in 2016, the International Quilt Festival with Astronaut Karen Nyberg and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. One of her life’s biggest thrills was being asked by Mark Armstrong to cut and prepare for auction, pieces of historic muslin fabric from the Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer that his father, Neil Armstrong, carried to the moon aboard the Apollo 11 Lunar Module.
Pre-order Jean’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Sew-Sister-Untold-Wright-Seamstresses/dp/0884489825/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35842DQC0D3T2&keywords=sew+sister+the+untold+story+of+jean+wright&qid=1693428497&sprefix=sew+sister%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1
Apply for a NASA Moon tree here: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-forest-service-to-share-moon-tree-seedlings-promote-stem
And don’t forget to send your story to space at www.storiesofspace.com
