• NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
  • NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment - Historic Artifacts from Stemcell Science Shop
1 8

NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment

NASA Space Shuttle Blueprint Fragment

  • Verified Authentic

Item #304


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.

  • Acrylic Display
  • Certificate of Authenticity
  • Individually Numbered
$64.00
$64.00
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Matter Subscriber Price:

View full details

Shop collections containing this item:

Aeronautics Historic Artifacts In Stock Matter Items NASA Newest Listings Outer Space Space Flight Artifacts SPACE LEGACY ARTIFACT COLLECTION Stationery Stemcell Catalog Storewide Wholesale Artifacts Wholesale Products

Further Reading:

NASA Press Release for LTV Contract for Thermal Protection System, 1972 (release #72-121 (p. 298-299) & release #72-171 (p. 419–420)): https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/83124main_1972.pdf

LTV Development Final Report, NASA 1975: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19750065713/downloads/19750065713.pdf

NASA Contractor Report, Historical Summary of Hardware Development, 1983: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19910011867/downloads/19910011867.pdf

Certification Test Program, NASA 1980: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19810005656/downloads/19810005656.pdf (LTV Aerospace had become Vought Corp prior to publication)

Columbia Accident Investigation Report, NASA 2003: https://sma.nasa.gov/SignificantIncidents/assets/columbia-accident-investigation-board-report-volume-1.pdf

Testing the RCC component, NASA 2007: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20070034702/downloads/20070034702.pdf

Analysis of RCC component, NASA 1994: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19940030739/downloads/19940030739.pdf

LTV Aerospace contract value 1975, NASA: https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4012/vol4/t5.21.htm

News article about this component, 1986: https://flighttestfact.com/columbia-gathers-data-with-ltv-built-one-of-a-kind-nose-cap/

Lockheed Martin purchases LTV Aerospace, 1992: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-27-fi-4136-story.html

Overview of Reinforced Carbon-Carbon — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforced_carbon%E2%80%93carbon

Overview of Shuttle Thermal Protection System: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/167473main_TPS-06rev.pdf

A nice gallery of shuttle construction images: https://imgur.com/a/PEkcv

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
100%
(4)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
Z
Zachary U.

An amazing addition to any collection of NASA artifacts.

Z
Zachary U.U.

Zachary gave this item 5 stars

E
Eric W.

Fantastic experience. I highly recommend

K
Kirsten G.

High quality and very nicely packed in a box.

AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED

We only list 100% verified authentic items. We work with reputable collectors, and regularly consult with our network of scientists and experts.

  • Free Shipping

    Spend $50 to qualify for free US shipping
    Spend $200 to qualify for free global shipping

  • Secure Payments

    Pay how you like: Credit card, PayPal, After Pay, Shop Pay, Venmo, Apple/Google/Meta Pay & crypto

  • Simple Returns

    Change your mind? No problem. Enjoy easy returns within 30 days.

WE TAKE SCIENCE SERIOUSLY

You deserve better than craft store science products. And we think learning is more impactful when you're holding a tangible piece of what you're learning about. That's why Stemcell exists.

We're dedicated to providing the best scientific products available—whether they're fragments of scientific importance, experimental activities, or just interesting things that scratch your curiosity itch.

With every new product launch, our list of new ideas gets longer rather than shorter. So check in often for our latest projects, and thanks for being a part of our endeavor to make the world a smarter place to live.

Believe in yourself; for everything else, there's science.

— TERRY MUDGE, FOUNDER & SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR