Toy, Space Shuttle, Gyro Powered

This toy in the shape of a Space Shuttle shows how visually identifable those long-serving spacecraft have become. From the first mission (STS-1) in 1981 until the present, the Space Shuttle has served as the primary vehicle for human spaceflight for NASA. Its distinctive outline (with delta wings and the Orbital Manuevering System in pods by the tail) as well as its covering of white and black tiles has become the icon of American spaceflight in the late 20th Century. As a result, although this small gyro-powered toy lacks many of the specific details featured on the exterior of an actual orbiter and distorts the overall shape of the vehicle, it is immediately recognizable as a Shuttle toy because of its features and coloring.

Valerie Neal, the National Air and Space Museum curator who oversees artifacts from the Space Shuttle program, donated this toy to the National Collection in 2003.