ORIGINAL 1978 SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA TILE "BILLET". THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM

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ORIGINAL 1978 SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA TILE "BILLET". THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM:
$50000.00

FOR THEDISCRIMINATING COLLECTOR THAT IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING UNIQUE AND VERY POSSIBLY ONE OF A KIND.

THIS IS SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA DEVELOPMENTAL TILE.*NOTE: THIS ITEM CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AND SHIPPED WITHIN THE 48 CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES.

DIMENSIONS:5" x 11" x 4.25",WEIGHT: 3 lbs. 4.2 oz.

A shuttle "tilebillet"isa large, rawblock of ceramic fiber material that is the precursor to the finished Space Shuttle heat shield tiles. The process involves mixing silica fibers with waterand additives, casting this mixture into a large block or "billet,"and then drying and firing it. Once the billet is fired, it is machined withprecision tools to cut the individual, precisely shaped and coated tiles thatwould cover the orbiter's surface.

Manufacturing process

Mixing:Ceramic fibers (primarily silica) are blended with water and chemical additives.
Casting:The mixture is poured into a mold and compressed into a large, dense block or "billet".
Drying:The billet is dried to remove moisture.
Firing:The dried billet is fired in a kiln at high temperatures to solidify the material.
Machining:The fired billet is then precisely machined into individual tiles using multi-axis, computer-controlled milling machines with diamond-coated tools.
Coating:Finally, a coating is applied to the tiles, which is then dried and fused to the tile's surface in another high-temperature process.

Key characteristics of the billet and its tiles

Material:The billet is made from a porous, lightweight silica-based ceramic material, with the final tiles being about 90% air, making them excellent insulators.
Purpose:The billet is the intermediate form that allows for the creation of a large number of precisely shaped tiles from a single block.
Precision:Each tile was custom-cut for a specific location on the orbiter, and its unique identifier was stamped on it for replacement purposes.

*Source Google AI

The History Of The Tile Billet

General information was compiled through research with specificsconveyed to me by the original seller, the son of a Lockheed Missiles and SpaceCompany manager who acquired the material working at the famous, known toLockheed employees with a high enough security clearance, as the “Blue Cube” onthe Sunnyvale, California Air Force Station. See attached photo.

At that time, circa 1978-1979, the Space Shuttle’s thermalprotection system (TPS) tile was being developed and fit tested on Columbia, thefirst operational Space Shuttle. This was an arduous and time-consumingprocess. Many types of adhesives were used in an attempt to get the tile tobond to the felt pad that separated the tile from the orbiter's aluminumfuselage.

The seller explained to me how he came into possession ofthe tile material:

“My Dad is no longer with us [passed away] and left methis tile. All I know is that it was thrown into dumpsters next to the BlueCube where only a few secured employees could go. My Dad was one of the“higher-ups” and was able to collect [the tile]. For some reason, they stoppedthrowing it out. They were allowed to keep what they had. This was back in 1979-1980 when they were designing the tiles.Yes, [these] could have been cut to size but forsome reason, did not work well enough to stay attached. * We don’t knowanything else, other than they were authentic.

Original email correspondence with the seller (The son of a Lockheed Missiles and Space Company manager)will be included with the purchase for the purposes of provenance.The photos are representative of the tile's condition. It has a few minor nicks and abrasions but it's in fantastic collectible condition.

You can message me with any questions you may have.

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