Popular Science USA – July-August 2019

31

could endure 12 G’s of acceleration and tem-
peratures up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It was
standard issue during the Gemini and Apollo
programs, and Buzz Aldrin wore one as he
strode across the moon. (Neil Armstrong’s
watch remained aboard the lander, filling in
for a malfunctioning timer.) Shuttle crews

donned updated versions into the 1990s.

Like the original, the modern iteration

resists shocks and magnetism, and winds

manually—no gravity or external power source

required to keep it running. It even retains the

plastic lens, which won’t create spacesuit-

tearing shards if it cracks in zero gravity.

POPSCI.COM•FALL 2019