This is a small sample of thermal shield tile removed from the Columbia Space Shuttle. The sample is part of a tile that was flown on the STS-94 mission which lasted from July 1st to the July 17th, 1994. The tile was damaged on this mission and removed afterwards by NASA engineers during post-flight operations at Vandenberg AFB. The sample was recorded and deaccessioned (paperwork shown). Pieces of this tile were acquired by a California-based dealer of aerospace memorabilia. I bought one of the samples and divided it into smaller pieces which I am offering here. Buyers will receive a copy of the provenance paperwork.
The STS-94 mission was primarily a micro-gravity research mission that contained numerous experiments from scientists around the world. The pilot of that mission was Susan L. Still and the commander was James D. Halsell. Interestingly, STS-94 was a reflight of the aborted STS-83 mission which was cut short due to a fuel cell problem. STS-94 is the only spaceflight in history where a crew of more than one member was flown on two missions - every member of the exact same crew flew on both missions.
The tile sample offered here was removed from the underside of a rear wing flap (see diagram in the paperwork photo).
You get one sample of the BLACK outer covering of the thermal tile. One side (shown) is black. The reverse side is white from attached insulation. The sample is micromount sized (approx. 2-3mm) and may vary slightly in shape from the example shown.
Refer to the photo. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. You are purchasing a sample like the one shown. Your purchase will include an ID label and copies of the provenance paperwork.
