Space Shuttle Blueprint

This section of paper was a piece of a blueprint used to manufacture a critical component of the Space Shuttle Columbia. These are not modern reproductions. They were produced in the 1970s for use in the Space Shuttle Orbiter development. Each display includes a unique, individually-numbered ½ x ½" fragment, research card, and certificate of authenticity. History: In 1972, NASA hired LTV Aerospace to develop the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) a method for measuring air pressure distribution around the spacecraft’s nose during reentry. Due to the extreme heat of reentry, which could reach temperatures as high as 2,700° F (1,480° C), this assembly and the leading edges of the wings were protected by black tiles made of reinforced carbon-carbon material (RCC).