Space Shuttle Thermal Tile

IT'S BACK! Enjoy a little slice of America's pioneering Space Shuttle Program! The Space Store is an authorized retail dealer of Space Shuttle thermal tile material. This is an actual leftover piece of thermal tile material that was made in the late 1970s for the Space Shuttle Columbia, the first shuttle to fly into space. Note: This tile material is not from the loss of STS-107. It comes from the same lot of material originally installed on Columbia.Material Background: Thermal tiles are made of a 'foam glass' material. Each Space Shuttle contains more than 34, 000 separate tiles, each specifically cut for its own location, to protect the Shuttle when reentering the Earth's atmosphere.Packaging: Packaging includes a clear plastic box with an authentic piece of Space Shuttle tile material resting on a sky blue foam insert. This is an excellent educational item for students and a must-have for collectors. Product features are presented below. Also see below for more information on how this tile material became commercially available. Supplies are limited.- Plastic display box is 2 x 2 x 1 inches - The tile material is 1/2" piece (either square or triangular in shape) - Each piece includes a certificate of authenticity - Note: Tile material is brittle and has a chalky film. This film can get on your hands and irritate the skin if handled directly.History of the Tile Material: In October 1978, D.G. Noble was assigned as Chief of U.S. Air Force Quality Assurance on all NASA contracts at Lockheed Missile and Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California. The main NASA contract at that time was for the production of Space Shuttle tile for the first Space Shuttle to fly in space, Columbia. At that time, Space Shuttle tile was being thrown into a large discard receptacle. There were no strict policies in effect at that time, precluding removal of anything from these receptacles. Noble's interest in the discarded tile was as an insulating material for a fireplace, so he removed enough material to accomplish this purpose. A few years later, a NASA representative came to Noble's home to discuss when and how he obtained the discarded Space Shuttle tile. NASA concluded that Noble had obtained the tile legally which could also be sold commercially.