Space suits for the Apollo missions were expertly sewn together by a company that manufactured ladies bras

A closer look

When NASA needed an airtight, temperature-controlled, bulletproof garment to protect men on the harsh surface of the moon, they didn't rely on rugged military contractors. They turned to Playtex, the absolute masters of the push-up bra. A team of dedicated seamstresses—who normally constructed delicate corsets and lingerie—had to hand-stitch layers of Mylar and Teflon with zero margin for error. Turns out the exact same engineering required to lift and separate is also perfect for surviving the vacuum of space.