A Space Shuttle Atlantis Thermal Blanket Flown to Mir
This Space Shuttle Atlantis thermal blanket is a hand-cut piece of insulation that flew inside Atlantis. NASA paperwork ties it to STS-86, the shuttle's 1997 mission to Mir.
Product Details
- Specimen: Hand-cut piece of a multi-layer insulation blanket from Atlantis's Thermal Control System
- Contents: Aluminized Kapton foil and fibrous bulk material
- Removed after: STS-86, Atlantis's mission to Mir, September 26, 1997
- Specimen size: Roughly 1 cm x 1 cm, though sizes vary
- Display: Acrylic jar in a glass-topped riker display case
- Includes: Information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity
What the Blanket Did
The Thermal Control System helped the ship withstand the extreme heat of re-entry. Crews applied the blanket inside the shuttle to protect internal components. Soft goods like this gave lightweight insulation to delicate items.
This shuttle insulation blanket is layered. It holds aluminized Kapton foil and fibrous bulk material.
Atlantis and the Mir Mission
Atlantis (OV-104) was the fourth of five orbiters and the last one flown. The STS-86 mission was the seventh Shuttle-Mir docking. It launched on September 25, 1997 (September 26 UTC) and docked with Mir on September 27.
Atlantis helped send probes to Venus and Jupiter and added modules to the International Space Station. See more flown pieces in our Authentic Historical Artifacts.
Display and Care
Space Shuttle memorabilia like this needs care. Kapton is light and slightly brittle, so fragments can fly away or break if you open the jar. The jar bottom is marked so each shuttle insulation blanket specimen can be told apart.
About the Mission
STS-86 included the first joint U.S.-Russian spacewalk during a shuttle flight. Few pieces of space shuttle memorabilia come from inside the ship. Your Space Shuttle Atlantis thermal blanket comes from the STS-86 mission.
For More Reading from the Web
- Read NASA's summary of the Atlantis flight to Mir. STS-86 - NASA