When we think of NASA, we often envision high-tech control rooms, roaring rocket engines, and complex lines of code. We don’t always think of a needle and thread. Yet, for Jean Wright, a former NASA Aerospace Composite Technician (more affectionately known as a “Sewing Knight”), the fabric of space exploration was literally in her hands.  This winter, NCSEA network hosted a virtual webinar with Jean Wright. 

Recently, the North Carolina Space Grant invited Jean Wright to share her story and encouragement for teachers working with students who might consider careers in STEM. The NC Space Grant is a NASA-funded grant program that promotes, develops and supports aeronautics and space-related science, engineering and technology education and training in North Carolina. They partner with NASA, industry, nonprofit organizations and state government agencies to conduct programs designed to equip the current and future aerospace workforce of North Carolina. 

Current and former NCSEA teacher cohorts attended the event to collaborate on implementing cross-curricular lessons and strengthening their use of STEM resources from the NASA Office of STEM Engagement. Meeting every other month, the cohort engages with NASA and industry subject-matter experts, participates in classroom-ready STEM activities led by cohort leaders, and contributes lessons and instructional artifacts to a shared repository that highlights workforce development and diverse NASA career pathways.

In her webinar, Jean discussed  her opportunity in the NASA career pathway that she never would have thought possible. Jean started her position at NASA when she found out they were looking for someone to do some sewing. “They needed a plain sewer… she thought, ‘Oh, plain sewing, I can do that,’ not knowing that’s what they had to do,” she said. She worked as a NASA aerospace composite technician, hand-sewing and fabricating critical thermal protection systems for the Space Shuttle, including insulation blankets, parachutes, thruster covers, and heat-shield components that protected astronauts during launch and re-entry. Her skilled craftsmanship helped ensure the shuttle could safely return home from space. A notable sewing task from the early shuttle flights was hand-fabricating and installing the gold thermal insulation blankets used on Columbia (and later Challenger), which protected astronauts from radiation and extreme heat during re-entry. These 24-karat gold–polyimide blankets were sewn by hand and were critical to the shuttle’s survival on its earliest missions.

Jean shared numerous meaningful stories that highlighted her distinguished career. One especially compelling example demonstrated how closely the history of flight is connected across generations. She described the careful process of cutting and preparing historic fabric from the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer. That very piece of fabric was later used in Neil Armstrong’s suit and was carried to the Moon during Apollo 11. Her responsibility centered on the meticulous cutting and preservation of the material. Jean spoke in great detail about the precision required to complete the task, noting how challenging it was to sew such a small fragment. As she reflected on the restoration work, she explained, “I had magnifying glasses on, and you could see a faint pencil line. And Orville was the one that always did the sewing. Wilbur sewed, Orville marked the fabric. So I said to Mark, this is a perfect 45-degree angle, and I know Orville must have marked the fabric so he could mark his true bias.”

 A key part of her discussion included her book about the 18 women, known as the “sew sisters” who hand-crafted thermal blankets that covered space shuttles and protected astronauts. She shared pictures of the official Sew Sister patch and the significance of the lady hand-sewing. There were five gold stars. Each gold star represented their service on a space shuttle.  Jean shared, “our love is going up to the astronauts and then their love for us is coming down to touch our hands as we sew.” 

Jean was connected with the book project through Elyse Maddick, an author who was working on a series of books about “hidden figure women” at the Kennedy Space Center. She chose Jean Wright as the first subject of her history book series. They worked together to share her story of being a behind-the-scenes-woman.  In the process, Michael Leinbach, an aerospace engineer who was a former Shuttle Launch Director at Kennedy Space Center, encouraged her.  “Michael Leinbach told me years before, if that book of yours ever happens, he goes, I’d be honored to be the first one to give a review,” said Jean.

Jean never imagined working for NASA as someone with little to no experience in the sciences and without a formal college degree. “Not everyone is geared for that. I probably would have done that. I married at 18 and I was young, I didn’t have money.  But I am still learning. I turned 70 in October and I learn something new everyday. Never stop learning,” said Jean.  Composite technician is just one of many NASA careers that students can explore as a future option. These kinds of jobs show students do not all have to fit a certain mold or get the best grades on certain subjects to be considered for a NASA career.

The NCSEA cohort members were given an autographed copy of the book. Members of the cohort used the book to design a transdisciplinary lesson that could be integrated into multiple subject areas. These lessons were shared among the cohort, with the plans to expand the lesson library.  NCSEA hopes to grow the library to include other NASA integrated lessons. There are already many picture books out there that are based on NASA and Space Exploration, but this is the first book that was authored directly by someone who has worked in a STEM career in NASA. Using this book as a resource, will help the group share with students the important idea of why considering a career in STEM is important. A key idea is that you do not have to be a stereotypical student to have a successful STEM career or even work somewhere like NASA. Talking with Jean and creating lessons based on her book will continue to help support STEM education through collaboration.