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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 \u201cSew Sisters\u201d who crafted these thermal blankets, mostly by hand, with incredible precision and skill.\xa0

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 \u2013 in a literal sense- the materials that would protect the vehicles carrying the astronauts to space, and secure her place in NASA history\u2026 this is the conversation that you must not miss.\xa0

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 \u201cSew Sister.\u201d\xa0\xa0

Together, Beth and Jean discuss stories from Jean\u2019s newly-released book, Sew Sister: The Untold Story of Jean Wright and NASA's Seamstresses.\xa0 The book, just like this conversation, unveils both the grandeur of space flight and the intimacy of a needle and thread,\xa0and the story of Jean\u2019s childhood passion for space and sewing, and her fascinating work for NASA\u2019s shuttle program.\xa0

Listen as Beth learns the definition of what schnibbles* are.\xa0 Note: It's a variant of schnibbles, a far more common term for\xa0\u201cscraps,\u201d or \u201csmall pieces,\u201d\xa0which is heard in parts of the United States that were settled largely by German immigrants. The term comes from German Schnippel, meaning \u201cscraps.\u201d

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 .\xa0 And guess what kind of fabric the Wright Brother\u2019s used for the first flight? A kind of high-end, expensive fabric women would use for their undergarments!

\u201cI\u2019m all about fabric!\u201d \u2013 Jean Wright, Casual Space Podcast\xa0

Jean Wright is a former NASA Aerospace Composite Technician- a NASA seamstress.\xa0 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, \u201cThe Sew Sisters\u201d, 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\u2019s not sewing, Jean is a photographer for SpaceUpClose; www.spaceupclose.com\xa0

Beth\u2019s Note: I especially loved \u201cBig Mo,\u201d \u201cSweet Sue\u201d, and \u201cLurch\u201d - the names of the sewing machines used by Jean and her team at NASA (some from 1914)!\xa0

More about Jean:\xa0

Jean says she\u2019s retired, but she\u2019s ever the most incredible NASA advocate, photographer, speaker and representative.\xa0 Jean remains involved with NASA as a Docent for the Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center. She is a member of NASA\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\xa0

Apply for a NASA Moon tree here: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-forest-service-to-share-moon-tree-seedlings-promote-stem\xa0

And don\u2019t forget to send your story to space at www.storiesofspace.com