공통영어2 능률(오선영) SPECIAL LESSON

BEHIND THE SCENE

What kinds of people come to mind when you hear the phrase "space exploration"?　You may think of NASA scientists, engineers, and astronomers. You probably picture them working long hours, using modern equipment, and solving complex problems. Of course, these people played important roles in making sure that Neil Armstrong could take the first steps on the Moon in 1969. But who else was working behind the scenes? This story gives us a look at a group of unexpected contributors to the space mission - seamstresses.

 

The Apollo 11 mission was unlike any of NASA's previous missions, as it included plans to land on the Moon. The astronauts intended to leave the spaceship, so the spacesuits [they wore] needed to provide extra protection.

For example, the suits had to be tough enough to protect the astronauts from the Moon's extreme temperatures. The temperatures range from around minus 140 to around plus 115 degrees Celsius. In addition, the suits had to be able to protect their wearers from the Moon's harsh environment. On the moon, the sun's light is powerful, and there is a chance of being struck by small pieces of rock known as micrometeoroids. The suits also needed to be flexible, as the astronauts had to carry out unique tasks. These included collecting rock samples and taking pictures of the Moon's surface. Such tasks would require many different movements, like walking around and bending.

Making a spacesuit that was both strong and flexible was a major challenge. Many big companies hoped to win the contract to make NASA's new suits, but they used stiff and bulky materials in their designs. This would have made it difficult for astronauts to move around. What NASA needed was a suit made of more flexible materials.

When it came to flexible material, one company had an advantage. It was a small company compared to the others, but it had expertise in using soft and flexible fabric because it mostly made underwear and baby clothes. In 1967, it succeeded in developing а strong and flexible suit made mostly of fabric and sent NASA a video of one of its employees playing football in it. NASA was impressed with the design and awarded the company the contract to make the spacesuits.

　Although the seamstresses at the company were experienced in working with fabrics, they needed more training for this special task. NASA trained them so that they could improve the precision of their work and communicate more easily with engineers. Upon completing the training, each seamstress was assigned to work on a different part of the suit. The suits were made up of 21 layers of special materials, and they had a complex design. Thus, precision was key. A stitch that was off by just eight millimeters would cause the suit to be rejected in the inspection. Samples of the suits were tested in the lab to see how much force they could handle. They were even sent through X-ray machines to make sure no pins had been left behind. One of the seamstresses said, "We used to work all day long making samples and knew they were going to be thrown away. But we knew a man's life was going to depend on each suit, so we just kept on going."

The hard work of the seamstresses and the NASA team finally paid off on July 20, 1969. On that day, the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the Moon. As the astronauts left the spaceship, they trusted that their suits would provide the protection they needed. The seamstresses were thrilled to watch this historic moment and proud to be a part of it. However, at the same time, they felt anxious about their work. They wondered if the suits were going to be all right. And they sincerely hoped that none of the stitches would pop.

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Fortunately, thanks to the well-made suits, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took humanity's first steps on the Moon. The Moon's surface was a challenging environment to explore, but the excellent design of the new spacesuits succeeded in keeping them safe. The astronauts not only stepped out of the spaceship but also collected samples of rocks, carried out experiments, and even ran across the Moon's surface. This was possible thanks to the dedication of the seamstresses who made the unique suits. The company that made those amazing spacesuits still exists, and its partnership with NASA remains. Today, it continues to supply suits for the next generation of astronauts.