Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Black reusable insulation tiles shielded the entire underside of the Space Shuttle orbiter, as well as portions of the vertical tail, wings, and forward and aft fuselage where temperatures reached 1,200-2,300 degrees F (650-1,260 degrees C) during re-entry into the atmosphere. About 23,000 High-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation (HRSI) tiles were used on those areas of the Shuttle that sustained very high temperatures during descent. Each tile had a unique part number and shape related to its precise location on the orbiter. This tile was meant to be placed on the upper or lower forward fuselage.

NASA transferred a number of unused tiles to the Museum when the Shuttle program ended in 2012.

Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.

Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Parts & Structural Components Manufacturer Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.
Dimensions 3-D: 16.5 × 12.7 × 9.5cm (6 1/2 × 5 × 3 3/4 in.)
Materials Plastic
Synthetic
Coating
Paper
Ceramic
Inventory Number A20140003000 Credit Line Transferred from National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.