SPACE SHUTTLE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER (SRB) THERMAL PROTECTIVE SYSTEM (TPS) 1" Piece Very Rare

The space shuttle solid rocket booster (SRB) thermal Protective System (TPS) was necessary to provide the capability for re-use of the SRB for continued flights. The SRB would never be subjected to the re-entry environment seen by the Orbiter, but would be subjected to the vibration and temperatures of the launch environment. Plus, the SRBs would be exposed to the additional temperatures, shock and vibrations of uncontrolled falling back through the atmosphere and the shock of the splashdown in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The application of the TPS to the major sections of the SRB was facilitated with the use of a rotating table holding the cleaned major structure at a fixed rotational spin while being sprayed by a preprogrammed robotic unit applying a controlled chemical mixture consisting of a base of liquid plastics, hardeners and fillers of glass beads and shredded fiberglass. This operation was completed within an environmentally controlled oven type structure. Every operation utilized panels of aluminum, which provided the means for destructive testing of all applications.

The STS-1 SRB’s major assemblies were processed for TPS acceptance on the basis of the data provided from the Test panels used for destructive testing. These panels of  “off all” material were held as proof of acceptance in case of STS-1 SRB TPS flight failure. The pre-flight test material for the STS-1 was provided to the quality engineer while all post flight data was reviewed.

Normal procedure required that the “off-all” from these test panels be destroyed as scrap; therefore there are no other samples of the SRB Thermal Protective System (TPS) available, except those retained from the STS-1 pre-flight tests.

This material comes with a "Certificate of Authenticity" signed by the engineer of record.

Very Rare And Collectable