This listing is for a piece of Kapton Foil which was flown into orbit on the Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-9 mission, which also served as the maiden voyage of Spacelab. The artifact measures approximately 1" across, and it's been mounted to an 8x10" photo for display. This item also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity listing its provenance.

This material was attached to the exterior of the Spacelab module to protect it from solar radiation - Spacelab was mounted in Columbia's Cargo Bay, where it was exposed to the vacuum of space and unfiltered sunlight. The entirety of the module was covered with multi-layered blankets, made from several sheets of Kapton Foil topped by a sheet of Beta Cloth. It spent over ten days in the vacuum of space, and traveled 4,295,852 miles. This artifact is from the personal collection of the mission's Payload Specialist (and inaugural ESA astronaut) Ulf Merbold.

STS-9 remains one of the most important and historically significant Space Shuttle missions in the program's history. It was the first mission to fully utilize the Shuttle's intended purpose as a scientific research station, and it was the first space mission involving the European Space Agency. Spacelab was designed and built by the ESA, and STS-9 was the first mission to carry Payload Specialists as a result - ESA astronaut Ulf Merbold and NASA astronaut Byron K. Lichtenberg.

STS-9 also marked the final spaceflight for legendary Apollo astronaut and moonwalker John Young. It makes this material extra special, knowing it was onboard a spacecraft piloted by the man widely considered the greatest astronaut in history.

Each Certificate of Authenticity will include photos of the original Kapton piece, along with photos of the original ERNO removal tag. ERNO was the company that built Spacelab, and this tag was attached to the original multi-layer blanket during the post-flight inspection of the module. I've included a photo of the COA here, so please refer to that for a closer look. Thank you for viewing this listing!