$646
Tile From the Apollo Command Module, enclosed in a Perspex cell, mounted on a similar but unused tile, with brass plaques engraved Allen A. Navarro and Avco 5026-39 Ablator Flown on Space Shuttle Flight No. 1, April 1981 , wd. 9 1/2 in.; commemorative material, pins, badges and medallion from the Columbia shuttle program, 1981.R> Note: The tiles demonstrate the "before and after" effects on the TPS (Thermal Protection System) upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. The honeycomb material is designed to char automatically when it re-enters the atmosphere, thus forming a protective layer over the steel substrate beneath. Developed by AVCO, the tiles were abandoned after the first few flights because the material could not be re-used after the landing. Only three commemorative tiles were reportedly produced, one for the President, one for the chief engineer, and the third for Allen Navarro, the chief contract negotiator between AVCO and NASA.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2006-07-29
