1 Images

Mission crews often use commercially-available products that are slightly modified for spaceflight. This tissue dispenser contains standard tissues for personal hygiene, but the container is custom-made of fire-retardant material. Almost everything carried aboard a spacecraft is repackaged for stowage and safety in bags or "boxes" made of this Teflon-coated Beta cloth. This tissue dispenser, made in 1971, may have been meant for use aboard Skylab, the U.S. space station where astronauts lived in 1973-74. NASA gave it to the Museum with many other spaceflight items in 1976, after the Apollo and Skylab programs ended.

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

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-Hygiene & Waste Management

Manufacturer

B. Welson & Co., United States of America

Dimensions

Overall: 3 in. tall x 8 in. wide x 5 in. deep (7.62 x 20.32 x 12.7 cm)

Materials

Teflon-coated Beta cloth, metal snaps, paper tissues

Inventory Number

A19770881000

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 Smithsonian’s Terms of Use.