Tile, Space Shuttle Insulation, White, STS-1

Reusable insulation tiles protected the space shuttle from the destructively searing heat of re-entry into the atmosphere. White tiles shielded selected areas on the sides and upper surfaces of the shuttle where temperatures remain lower than 1,200 degrees F (650 degrees C). Most of the original 7,000 white ceramic tiles were replaced with lighter-weight, more durable, quilted insulation blankets. This tile was removed from the forward fuselage after being damaged on the first flight of Columbia in 1981. NASA transferred a number of shuttle tiles to the Museum after the STS-1 mission.