Space Shuttle Atlantis - Flown Thermal Blanket

Above: Front of the Specimen Card The Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104) was the fourth of the five space shuttles used in space operations. It was also the final shuttle to be flown. During Atlantis' tenure, the craft was instrumental in sending planetary probes to Venus and Jupiter and adding modules to the ISS. This specimen is a piece of a mission-flown insulation blanket, which was part of Atlantis' Thermal Control System. The TCS helped the ship withstand the extreme increase in temperatures during atmospheric reentry and the TCS blanket was applied to the inside of the shuttle to protect internal components and systems. Softgoods such as the blanket were a simple and efficient way to provide lightweight insulation to delicate items. NASA disposition paperwork received with this item indicates this particular blanket was removed after Atlantis' mission to MIR (STS-86) which flew on September 26, 1997. As pictured below, each hand-cut specimen is housed in an acrylic jar and ships i