Each hand-cut specimen is housed in an acrylic jar and ships in a classic, glass-topped riker display case. Given the limited amount of material with the coating, these specimens are roughly the size of a standard Mini Museum specimen (4-5mm). A small information card is also included, which serves as the certificate of authenticity.

Special Handling Notice: We have not stabilized this material. So while the silica is not toxic, it will powder under pressure. If you choose to handle the specimen, please do so with extreme care. We also recommend using gloves as the silica will coat your fingers and can be irritating.

Please Note: References to disposition paperwork on the specimen card are for context only. The original paperwork resides in the Mini Museum Collection. See information on the original artifact below.

"The powered flight took a total of about eight and a half minutes. It seemed to me it had gone by in a flash. We had gone from sitting still on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center to traveling at 17,500 miles an hour in that eight and a half minutes. It is still mind-boggling to me. I recall making some statement on the air-to-ground radio for the benefit of my fellow astronauts, who had also been in the program a long time, that it was well worth the wait." ~ Bob Crippen, STS-1 astronaut, regarding first flight of the Space Shuttle, April, 12 1981

As noted above, this specimen is a mission-flown tile fragment from the Space Shuttle Columbia. Known as a high-temperature surface insulation tile (HRSI), the tile is comprised of low-density silica and coated with black, reaction-cured glass designed to withstand intense heat of re-entry up to 2300°F..

Each tile was unique, specifically designed to meet the exact shape, weight, and temperature resistance required at its location on the craft. NASA disposition paperwork received with this item indicates this particular tile was removed after Columbia’s 7th mission, STS-61-C, which flew on January 12, 1986.

Please Note: The item on offer above is a fragment of this mission-flown tile. The original scrap tags and documentation remain in the Mini Museum collection. Photos here are provided for context only.

These high temperature tiles were actually ninety percent air, and weighed only nine pounds per cubic foot. Depending on how much heat the specific surface area needed to withstand, the tile would vary in thickness, between 1 to 5 inches. Thicker tiles protected the front of the spacecraft, and they became thinner as they progressed towards the rear of the orbiter. The tiles were a feat of materials engineering - able to withstand thermal shock without cracking or breaking, during repeated cycles of heating and cooling in outer space and during atmospheric reentry.

The red coating on the back side of the tile is actually a silicone adhesive called RTV 560. This phenyl methyl silicone is filled with iron oxide, hence the red color. It has high heat conductivity and was used as the main TPS adhesive. You can read more about these adhesives and much more in the NASA Technical Report "Outgassing Products from Orbiter TPS Materials".

While the Space Shuttle orbiter's structural skin consisted of a graphite epoxy over aluminum, the spacecraft would require a Thermal Protection System (TPS) capable of withstanding peak temperatures between 752 °F to 2300 °F during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The insulation system used to cover the metal orbiter frame consisted of different layers of protection, each specifically designed to meet the aerodynamics, weight, and temperature requirements at each location on the orbiter's shell.

📸 Space Shuttle Discovery photographed by astronaut Stephen K. Robinson during the third extravehicular activities session of STS-114 (Image Credit: NASA/S114-E-6405, August 3, 2005)

The three main layers of passive thermal protection systems include:

RCC - Reinforced Carbon-carbon panels on critical surfaces such as the wing-leading edges.

LRSI - white Low-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation tiles protecting against extremely low temperatures in outer space.

HRSI - 20,000 black High-Temperature Reusable Surface Insulation Tiles protecting 90% of the spacecraft surface from high temperature extremes.

📸 Shuttle Tile Assembly and Parts from "Coatings and Surface Treatments for Reusable Entry Systems" (Image Credit: Sylvia M. Johnson, NASA Ames Research Center)

The successful launch and return of Columbia heralded a new age in space exploration. Envisioned in the 1950’s as a fleet of reusable spacecraft, Columbia was joined by Challenger, Discovery, Endeavor, and Atlantis.

Over the course of 135 missions, the fleet delivered hundreds of astronauts and thousands of tons of materials into orbit. They also deployed satellites and served as a platform for the advancement of science while traveling more than half a billion miles during three decades of operation.