A Space Shuttle Endeavour Thermal Blanket Flown on STS-99
This Space Shuttle Endeavour thermal blanket is a hand-cut piece of insulation that flew inside Endeavour. NASA paperwork ties it to STS-99, which flew in February 2000.
Product Details
- Specimen: Hand-cut piece of a multi-layer insulation blanket from Endeavour's Thermal Control System
- Contents: Aluminized Kapton foil and fibrous bulk material
- Removed after: STS-99, February 11, 2000
- 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. This shuttle insulation blanket holds aluminized Kapton foil and fibrous bulk material.
Kapton is light and brittle. Fragments may fly away or break if the jar is opened.
Endeavour and STS-99
Endeavour (OV-105) was the last orbiter built, and it replaced Challenger. It first flew on STS-49 on May 7, 1992, when its crew captured and repaired the INTELSAT VI satellite.
The STS-99 mission came in 2000. Endeavour also flew the first Hubble service mission in December 1993. See more flown pieces in our Authentic Historical Artifacts.
Display and Care
Leave the jar closed if you can, because this shuttle insulation blanket is brittle. Keep the case out of direct sun and damp.
About Endeavour
Endeavour flew 25 missions. It added the Unity Module, the first U.S. component, to the International Space Station on STS-88. It now stands at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Your Space Shuttle Endeavour thermal blanket comes from the STS-99 mission.
For More Reading from the Web
- Follow Endeavour from launch to museum. Space Shuttle Endeavour - California Science Center