HOUSTON — During Pride month, "Our Story, Our History" celebrates the people and businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community.
Zach Paugh, Softgoods Technician Lead at Axiom Space, is one of them. He got his start designing costumes backstage in Las Vegas. He is now one of several people helping to build the next-generation spacesuit.
The Apollo 17 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 52 years ago. It was the last time man went to the moon. NASA is aiming for a manned return in 2025. Those astronauts will be outfitted with a new spacesuit. It is being built in the Softgoods Lab at Axiom Space.
A team of engineers, seamstresses and specialists with a range of skill sets is on the job. Paugh is the Softgoods technician lead.
"We have to build a spacesuit that is essentially a personalized spacecraft with its own atmosphere, its own pressure, its own water system that can sustain the person who is exploring for up to ten hours. That’s a huge feat," Paugh said.
The new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit is softer and its sections are interchangeable to fit almost every astronaut. It is more flexible, gives astronauts greater protection to withstand the harsh environment and comes with special tools to allow them to explore and expand scientific opportunities.
That kind of precision takes a sharp eye and a steady hand.
"This piece ended up being too close to this, and so they talked about shifting this entire piece," Paugh said.
Paugh’s attention to detail was tailored in theater. Before coming to Axiom, he designed costumes for Cirque de Soleil and worked on the show "KA" in Las Vegas.
"I built my own pair of shoes. I worked with a lot of leather products. I maintained the shoes on the show, learned how they built their processes, learned how to paint. I learned how to work with a variety of materials and machines," Paugh said.
When the pandemic hit, the curtains closed and Paugh was without a job. But not for long. He soon landed in Space City, working as a costume shop manager at the Houston Ballet. Then, the stars aligned.
"I just so happened to get a ping about a spacesuit sewing technician position at Axiom Space, and I looked through all the qualifications and saw that the requirements for a spacesuit sewing technician are the same requirements as working on costumes for theater. So, I said, I’m going to do this. I have to do this," Paugh said.
Paugh started at Axiom as a technician, building gloves for the next-generation spacesuit. Shortly after, he became the head of that team. Now, he leads the entire Softgoods sewing lab at Axiom.
"To be a part of this groundbreaking part of history, how this will impact the entire world, is incredible. It’s once in a lifetime," Paugh said.
You could say Paugh began positioning himself for the astronomical task at the young age of seven when he started designing costumes on a broom.
"That was one of my very first projects, I would say, but starting to sew and really getting involved with the sewing machine my senior year of high school," Paugh said.
Then, the Star Wars fan began making his own costumes for cosplay events.
"As soon as I saw those designs on screen, I said, well I can wear that and that’s what started me on my path of doing costumes and fashion," Paugh said.
From there, he started designing costumes for drag show performers. For Paugh, the sky was the limit.
"I’ve always moved through life thinking that I really didn’t need a plan because my skillset and my ability to work with people will catapult me into places that I never have imagined before," Paugh said.
As a gay man, he said, sometimes it also meant taking a leap of faith.
"When I first came to aerospace, I was a little bit nervous to arrive authentically and be myself as a queer individual. But working here at Axiom Space, I have received nothing but support in arriving authentically. The ways that Axiom Space has supported the larger LGBTQI+ community is by, not only attending Pride events but also donating some of the materials," Paugh said.
The transition, he said, was seamless.
"I would have never known that I could be sewing spacesuits with the same machines that I sew an 18th-century gown. At the end of the day, it feels like I’m back in theater sometimes, and I love that," Paugh said.
This mission may be different, but Paugh said the thread is ultimately sewn similarly. For this mission to launch, this team must arrive at a flawless finish.
"I feel that level of duty. I feel that level of responsibility. It’s a level of achievement that I don’t think I’ve experienced before, and it’s exciting," Paugh said.
Artemis III is scheduled to carry American astronauts, including the first woman of color, to the moon in 2026. The Axiom Softgoods team is also making the flag the astronauts will plant at the lunar south pole.