A Space Shuttle Columbia Tile Fragment From STS-61-C

This Space Shuttle Columbia tile fragment is a piece of the black glass coating from an HRSI heat tile. It measures 4 to 5 mm. An acrylic jar protects the thin coating.

Product Details

• Specimen: Fragment of the black, reaction-cured glass coating of an HRSI tile
• Removed after: Columbia's 7th mission, STS-61-C, January 12, 1986
• Specimen size: Roughly 4 mm to 5 mm
• Display: Acrylic jar in a glass-topped riker box, 4 in x 3 in x 1 in
• Includes: Information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity
• Edition: The HRSI tile also appears in the Mini Museum Fourth Edition

What an HRSI Tile Did

HRSI stands for high-temperature reusable surface insulation. NASA says these black tiles protected the orbiter from about 1,200 to 2,500 degrees F. Their black coating sheds heat quickly during the hot phase of re-entry.

Most lower-surface tiles were LI-900, a silica glass fiber that is mostly air. The shuttle heat shield used roughly 24,300 tiles on each orbiter.

The Glass Coating and the Flight

The coating is reaction-cured glass, 0.01 to 0.1 inch thick. Workers sprayed it on and fired it in a kiln. This HRSI tile fragment is a piece of that thin skin.

NASA disposition paperwork ties the piece to the STS-61-C mission, which flew on January 12, 1986. Columbia was the first orbiter, and STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981. See more flown pieces in our Authentic Historical Artifacts.

Handling and Care

The material is not stabilized. It is not toxic, but it can powder under pressure and irritate skin. Wear gloves, and handle this HRSI tile fragment as little as possible.

About Columbia

Your Space Shuttle Columbia tile flew on the STS-61-C mission, Columbia's seventh. The orbiter was lost on February 1, 2003, during STS-107. Every piece of shuttle heat shield from Columbia is now part of that history.

For More Reading from the Web

• See how orbiter tiles were built and coated. Orbiter Thermal Protection System - NASA Kennedy Space Center