7.2 Plesetsk Air Base

In July of 2006, scientists at Russia’s Plesetsk Air Base were busy preparing the satellite Arirang-2 for launch. Then an 80-year-old lady appeared with a sewing basket.  The lady opened the basket, threaded a needle, and started to sew, stitch by stitch. This lady had 50 years’ experience of such work since the world’s first satellite. She was making a gold dress for the satellite.

This was no ordinary dress, though. Known as multi-layer insulation (MLI), it was designed to protect satellites from the hard conditions of space: burning sunlight, cosmic debris, and temperatures as cold as -270°C.

The MLI had to be made by hand. This is because it had to fit around all of the satellite’s shapes. While the MLI provides great protection, its bright gold color also makes satellites the most brilliant objects in the sky.