Tile, Space Shuttle Insulation, Black, STS-9

Black HRSI (high-temperature reusable surface insulation) tiles were an integral component of the Space Shuttle orbiter's thermal protection system. This system shielded the vehicle from the destructively searing heat of re-entry into the atmosphere and also provided passive thermal control in orbit. About 23,000 HRSI tiles covered the entire underside of the orbiter, as well as portions of the vertical tail, wings, and forward and aft fuselage where temperatures reach 650-1,260 degrees C (1,200-2,300 degrees F). This tile was removed from Columbia after being damaged on the STS-9 mission in 1983. NASA transferred a number of such tiles to the Museum in 1986.