The magical relationship between Velcro and the Apollo space program

24 Jun The magical relationship between Velcro and the Apollo space program

Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of the lunar module “Eagle”, landed on the moon, and said his famous line: “For people, this is just a small step For humans, it is a huge leap forward.”

When we stopped to think about this moment in history, another major invention came into being in the Swiss Alps 28 years ago. In 1941, when a Swiss engineer walked with his dog in the Alps, he found the barb of the witch hazel plant stuck to his clothes and his dog. He took a closer look and found that the barbs consisted of tiny hooks that attached themselves to the fibers and hair. So the invention of “hook and loop”（velcro） was born, which is a simple but very effective fastening system, which has been used all over the world. Today, many versions of this original fastener provide different strengths, appearances, and cycle life for countless applications.
In the 1960s, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began to apply it to the Apollo space program (including the famous lunar mission), the hook-and-loop （velcro）technology gained widespread publicity. In a spaceship, many checklists and other small devices need to be fixed to the dashboard or bulkhead for easy viewing or access. On the lunar surface, you can use Velcro（hook&loop） to ensure the opening or closing of the clothes pocket, and also to fix the sample collection bag, at the same time, to fix the antenna wire and dust cover to the lunar rover, and to fix the watch, small mirror and cuff list on On the sleeves of clothes. The effectiveness of Velcro（hook and loop） in space exploration has prompted further use in the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) programs. Astronaut Thomas D Jones commented: “The Velcro is very effective.”
After Velcro was known to the world because of its historic moon landing plan,EYABAO continued to explore the application of Velcro（hook and loop） in various industries. From wearable electronic products to surgical equipment, automobile assembly to aerospace interiors, firefighters’ fire service uniforms, consumer goods packaging, furniture abrasives, etc. It can be said that hook-and-loop technology is always around us, and almost every part of our lives is related to hook-and-loop.
Can you think of where Velcro can be applied? If you need to apply Velcro in your work or life, please contact us at EYABAO, we will provide you with services at any time.