Author Topic: Shuttle Tile identification  (Read 143585 times)

Offline tlee

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Shuttle Tile identification
« on: 12/17/2010 11:03 am »
I ordered a Shuttle tile for my school and I was wondering if anyone had any information on the tiles that they are using or can help me identify this particular one. It is TILE# V070-394024-036-009370. I haven't received it yet but it should be here any day. My students are very excited.

Thanks

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #1 on: 12/17/2010 11:08 am »
Cool! And welcome to the site's forum. We've had threads like this before and they usually find where they were originally located, which orbiter etc. So this shouldn't be a problem.
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Offline Jester

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #2 on: 12/17/2010 01:07 pm »
serial starting with V070 normally indicates that is was a Rockwell item and could have been flown, normally when you buy a tile (or any shuttle related hardware) is should come with a decommissioning paper, indicating when it was taken off and which flight it was the last used on.

example digging here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19691.15
« Last Edit: 12/17/2010 01:24 pm by Jester »

Offline jimwilkes

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #3 on: 01/06/2011 07:03 pm »
Hello folks,
I'm in the same situation as tlee, the original poster, regarding tile identification.

Our school receive tile #VO70-395908-046 -008211 and our principal has asked if I might be able to trace it to a particular location on the shuttle. I have doubts as to whether this tile 'saw duty' due to its condition, but regardless, it has created a nice buzz around the school.

Thanks for any help that someone can offer.
Jim

Offline closette

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #4 on: 02/18/2011 08:41 pm »
Me too - my school received a tile with ID# V070-394026-129-008682.

Since the latest documentation says we're not supposed to take it out of its shrink- wrap (let alone heat it up!), I would at least like to tell my students which part of the shuttle this un-flown tile was made for.

(I suppose they can calculate its density from the weight and dimensions - not exactly inspiring for the next generation of space explorers!)

Any help (and especially an image of the location, as some previous posters have obtained) would be greatly appreciated.

« Last Edit: 02/18/2011 09:51 pm by closette »

Offline robertross

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #5 on: 02/18/2011 09:23 pm »
I'm wondering: with all these tiles being given away to schools, we need to set up a template for each orbiter, with likely location points for each. Do we, or does NASA, have a template like that available?

Not to sound unkind, but with LITERALLY thousands of tiles, there will just as many requests.

Perhaps NASA can help us help everyone.  :)

Offline Launchpad911

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #6 on: 02/20/2011 05:38 pm »
I have never heard about shuttle tiles being given to schools. My wife teaches sixth grade science and would love to get a tile for her classroom. How does she apply to get one? Thanks for the help.

Offline rdale

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #7 on: 02/20/2011 05:45 pm »
I have never heard about shuttle tiles being given to schools. My wife teaches sixth grade science and would love to get a tile for her classroom. How does she apply to get one? Thanks for the help.

http://www.google.com/search?&q=shuttle+tiles+being+given+to+schools

Offline Launchpad911

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #8 on: 02/21/2011 04:35 am »
I have never heard about shuttle tiles being given to schools. My wife teaches sixth grade science and would love to get a tile for her classroom. How does she apply to get one? Thanks for the help.


Thank you very much for the link. I have printed it out to give to my wife. We hope that there is a tile left for her school.

http://www.google.com/search?&q=shuttle+tiles+being+given+to+schools

Offline Jerirog

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #9 on: 02/21/2011 02:58 pm »
Hallo all together,

I also never heard that a shuttle tile is given to a school. But that would be very cool.
Greatings
« Last Edit: 02/21/2011 03:21 pm by Chris Bergin »

Offline emarkay

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #10 on: 02/28/2011 08:52 pm »
"December 3, 2010 — NASA is holding a "baked-goods" sale for schools, but instead of tasty desserts, the space agency is offering something much hotter: space shuttle heat shield tiles.

NASA began Wednesday offering 7,000 of the black and white lightweight tiles to U.S. schools and universities that "want to share technology and a piece of space history with their students."

The tiles are free for the asking but following the "transfer protocol" for government property, schools must cover the shipping and handling charge -- a grand total of $23.40. That's quite the sale considering that NASA estimates its original acquisition cost was $1,000 per tile.

According to the tiles' manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, the baked silica squares originally cost NASA about $10,000 per square foot installed. Typically, tiles measure about a quarter of that or six by six inches (15.2 by 15.2 cm).

More than 20,000 tiles are installed on each space shuttle and each tile is designed to survive 100 trips to space and back. Varying in thickness from one inch (2.54 cm) to five inches (12.7 cm) depending on the heating they will be subjected to, the tiles collectively protect the orbiter from temperatures as high as 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit during its reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.

The silica tile material -- referred to as LI-900 or Lockheed Insulation-9 pounds per cubic foot -- insulates heat so well that tiles can be held bare handed on one side even while the opposite side is still red hot. Educators can demonstrate that ability in the classroom, substituting a blow torch for the reentry-generated heating.

NASA is fulfilling the requests for the tiles on a first-come, first-served basis. Qualifying educational institutions apply online through the General Services Administration (GSA) website:

http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm

A part of NASA's on-going efforts to "preserve the shuttle program's history and inspire the next generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers," the heat shield tile offer comes as the space agency is preparing to retire its orbiter fleet next year. Two more missions are scheduled, with a third pending Congressional funding."

From: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-120310a.html
Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing.                                            W. von Braun, 1957

Offline Launchpad911

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #11 on: 04/09/2011 10:14 pm »
Thanks to the help of the folks here at NSF, my wife recieved her Space Shuttle tile for her classroom this week.
The number imprinted on the exterior side is-

VO70-391036-079-009993

On the back is a code printed on a piece of paper that is sandwiched in between the foam backing and the shrink wrap.

The code is MC364-0006 TYPE 1

Does anyone know if this tile was ever used on an orbiter and if so, which one? Frankly, the tile looks in pristine condition and appears to never have been used, but it would be more interesting to her class if she knew if the tile came from a certain orbiter. Thanks again for all your help in obtaining a piece of space history for her classroom.

Offline Launchpad911

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #12 on: 04/09/2011 10:58 pm »
After a little research thanks to a link provided by NASA with the tile -

http://artifacts.nasa.gov/tile_serial_numbers.htm

I have confirmed that all of the Tiles For Teachers are unflown artifacts. Based on the serial number guide, my wife's tile was designed to be used on an area of the forward fuselage, either on the upper part behind the nose cap or lower side behind the front landing gear. The exact location cannot be determined from that link, so if anyone knows a links that specifies the exact tile locations, I would love to have the URL. Thanks again.
« Last Edit: 04/09/2011 11:03 pm by Launchpad911 »

Offline AnalogMan

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #13 on: 04/10/2011 12:19 am »
... The exact location cannot be determined from that link, so if anyone knows a links that specifies the exact tile locations, I would love to have the URL. Thanks again.

I don't have a URL I can give you, but I did find your tile in a couple of L2 presentations that had partial tile map graphics.  I've marked 391036-079 in yellow.  The lower resolution picture shows the general location (ignore the colored circles, they just highlight something the original documents are discussing)

Click the images for the full size versions.

Offline Launchpad911

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #14 on: 04/10/2011 06:19 pm »
Analogman,

Thank you very much for finding the location of the tile. I knew I could count on the membership of NSF to help me out. I have saved your files and my wife will be able to show them on the Smartboard she has in her classroom. Thanks again!

Online AirmanPika

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #15 on: 04/12/2011 05:38 pm »
I do know of one NASA template that at least for now is still in house use only. When researching a flown tile I have from Atlantis, NASA provided me with a computer screenshot of the tile location. The program they were using was called the Gap Filler Display Program. Maybe at some point it will become public domain.

As mentioned, the Tiles for Teachers tiles were never flown, but they do have unique serial numbers which are the 4th set of numbers in the string. If these tiles had been slated for use, then they may be able to identify which orbiter they were meant for based on that last number. Thats how they were able to ID where my tile came from and which missions it had flown on. You might be able to submit a FOIA request to NASA to find this out and since these are for educational use, you shouldn't have to pay anything.

Offline Viscouse

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #16 on: 04/19/2011 02:50 pm »
Another Tile ID request!

My info is this:
FRCS-9-01-0033
VO70-39 1005-195
Closeout
TP STS-9-B087
OML P1 9/82

This is what I've dug up so far:
FRCS = Forward Reaction Control System
STS-9 = Columbia Orbiter
OML = Outer Mold Line (but what is P1?)
VO70-39 1005-195 is location 391005-195
TP=?
B087=?

Any help in locating this tile is appreciated!  Or answers to the missing info.

Online AirmanPika

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #17 on: 04/29/2011 01:30 pm »
Is this a standard black or white tile or a Blue or Green tile? The description sounds like one of the filler tiles as I don't recall seeing that kind of detail on any regular shuttle tile. I have seen those kind of markings for the fit/filler tiles though.

Offline Viscouse

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #18 on: 04/29/2011 03:29 pm »
Thanks for replying.

The one piece of info I missed!  Yes it's a blue/green tile.

Online AirmanPika

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Re: Shuttle Tile identification
« Reply #19 on: 04/29/2011 04:17 pm »
Yep, then you have a fit check/filler tile. These were used either to test out shapes before the real tile was made, or used to fill a gap until the real tile could be installed for whatever reason. At least I believe that was their use based on my own research. Mind you there may be some people here with hands on knowledge that can provide better info than I regarding the use of these tiles.

Oh, and see this thread as it probably can help in regard to your tile's use...

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24080.0
« Last Edit: 04/29/2011 04:21 pm by AirmanPika »

 

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