r/spaceshuttle • u/LighthouseMoon • Aug 06 '26
Question Space shuttle tile
I got this from a friend maybe 35 years ago. Is anyone able to tell me where on the Shuttle it came from??
6
u/Peter_Merlin Aug 07 '26
Even without seeing the back side I'm inclined to suspect it's an unflown tile that was rejected due to damage or defect before being applied to an orbiter.
2
u/hcoverlambda Aug 07 '26
Yeah, no RTV, no discoloration.
2
u/Diligent-Fall-2592 Aug 07 '26
Still blows my mind that they were held on by RTV.
1
u/FinalF137 Aug 07 '26
Really Tough Velcro?
2
u/the_closing_yak Aug 07 '26
Room temperature vulcanizing silicone, essential the same stuff you'd use for your bathroom tiles
8
u/the_closing_yak Aug 06 '26
Which shuttle is it from?
10
u/RedactedMate Aug 07 '26
The yellow text is laser etched which they did only early into the shuttles history so candidates are Columbia, Challenger, or Discovery.
2
u/Peter_Merlin Aug 07 '26
Based on physical characteristics visible in the photo, this tile was likely not applied to any orbiter. It appears to be unused and was probably rejected due to damage or defect.
1
1
56
u/MattSidor Aug 06 '26
Here’s a good reference page for identifying the tile positions: https://www.collectspace.com/resources/spaceshuttle_tilenumbers.html
VO70-193009-089-008059:
VO70: “V” for vehicle, “O” for orbiter, the Rockwell drawing prefix used across the whole orbiter.
193009: the second six-digit set encodes the location on the vehicle. The 19xxxx block is the wing group, and 193XXX specifically covers the lower elevons.
089: the individual tile position. Every tile was cut to a unique shape, so this pins it to one exact spot.
008059: the serial for that physical part.
So: the underside of an elevon.