Picture an astronaut: what are they wearing? If you said an orange space suit, you can thank Sharon Caples McDougle, a retired spacesuit technician who worked to ensure the safety of NASA astronauts for many years. Sharon was both the first woman and first Black person to manage the Crew Escape Equipment department. She and her team were responsible for suiting up the astronauts, testing their equipment, strapping them into the space shuttles, and recovering the crew upon landing — all critical roles to ensure missions go smoothly. Since retiring, Sharon has written a children’s book about her experiences: Suit Up for Launch with Shay!
