67. MILLS: From Cotton Cloth to Space Age Textiles

While researching RI mills, I came across this one little snippet about the Ashton Mill in Cumberland, and had to know more: “Owens-Corning Fiberglas Company bought the mill... They operated in the mill until 1983. They made tire cord, drapery, and beta cloth for spacesuits for the Apollo Moon missions.”Episode Source Material:Address at Rice University in Houston, Texas on the Nation's Space Effort, 12 September 1962 | JFK LibraryWe choose to go to the Moon - WikipediaBeta cloth - WikipediaBA 500BC / CF500 F (Beta Cloth, Beta Fabric) – Bron AerotechPopular Science | November 1967Comparison of Observed Beta Cloth Interactions with Simulated and Actual Space EnvironmentBeta Cloth Durability Assessment for Space Station Freedom (SSF) Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) Blanket CoversApollo Applications of Beta Fiber GlassLunar Dust Effects on Spacesuit SystemsMan in Machine: Apollo-Era Space Suits as Artifacts of Technology and Culture | Douglas N. LantryAPOLLO SPACE SUITJourneying to the Moon in a Suit of Glass | Behind the GlassTensile Fabrics Enhance Architecture Around the World | NASA SpinoffOwens Corning 2019 Sustainability ReportOur HistoryOwens Corning - WikipediaOwens-Corning Records, 1938-Present , MSS-222OWENS-CORNING MILESTONESCoated Membrane Materials for Use in Construction of Stressed Membrane StructuresBeta Cloth Patches50 Years on, Apollo 11 Spacesuit Continues to Influence Imaginations and New Designs | KQEDTextiles in space - Textile Technology SourceSpace Mission Patches - About PatchesToledo's Owens Corning made Apollo 11 spacesuits possible | The BladeIf you want to know more about: Playtex and Space SuitsPlaytex - WikipediaWhat Did Playtex Have to Do With Neil Armstrong? | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian MagazineThe seamstresses who helped put a man on the moon: When NASA needed a lunar spacesuit, they turned to the women who sewed girdles and bras for Playtex - CBS NewsHow Playtex Helped Win the Space Race | Mental FlossThe Apollo 1 & the Space Race:Apollo 1 - WikipediaThe Legacy of the Apollo 1 Disaster | Science| Smithsonian MagazineApollo to the Moon: A History in 50 ObjectsThe Space Race: Timeline, Cold War & Facts - HISTORYApollo | History, Missions, Significance, & Facts | BritannicaHow Apollo 11 Raised The Flag On The Moon, And What It Means TodayWhere No Flag Has Gone Before:How the race to the Moon–with an assist from pop culture–changed the meaning of the word 'technology'Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform AudiencesAshton MillAshton - Blackstone River ValleyLabor news clippings, 22 scrapbooks, 1867-1902National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form