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

Reusable insulation tiles protected the space shuttle from the destructively searing heat of re-entry into the atmosphere. White tiles shielded selected areas on the sides and upper surfaces of the shuttle where temperatures remain lower than 1,200 degrees F (650 degrees C). Most of the original 7,000 white ceramic tiles were replaced with lighter-weight, more durable, quilted insulation blankets. This tile was removed from the forward fuselage after being damaged on the first flight of Columbia in 1981. NASA transferred a number of shuttle tiles to the Museum after the STS-1 mission.

 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 Overall: 4 5/8 in. × 7 in. × 5/8 in. (11.7 × 17.8 × 1.6cm)
3-D: 17.8 × 11.4cm (7 × 4 1/2 in.)
 Materials Ceramic Bonded Silica Fiber
Glass coating
Nomex Felt
Paint
RTV Adhesive
Nylon
 Inventory Number A19820019000 Credit Line Transferred from the 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.