NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment

This section of paper was a piece of a blueprint used to manufacture a critical component of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

These are not modern reproductions. They were produced in the 1970s for use in the Space Shuttle Orbiter development.

Each display includes a unique, individually-numbered ½ x ½" fragment, research card, and certificate of authenticity.

History:

In 1972, NASA hired LTV Aerospace to develop the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) a method for measuring air pressure distribution around the spacecraft’s nose during reentry.

Due to the extreme heat of reentry, which could reach temperatures as high as 2,700° F (1,480° C), this assembly and the leading edges of the wings were protected by black tiles made of reinforced carbon-carbon material (RCC).

In 2003, during Columbia’s 28th launch, a piece of foam broke off the external fuel tank and struck the RCC tiles at about 500 mph (800 km/h), causing damage that ultimately lead to the tragic destruction of the spacecraft during reentry. Less than a year later, the Space Shuttle fleet was scheduled to be retired.