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T O P I C R E V I E WNavySpaceFanIn the Navy, the first crew members of a ship are know as "Plankowners" (I'm one for the assault ship USS KEARSARGE, LHD-3). As such, they are eligible for pieces of the ship after it is decommissioned. With the shuttles going in that direction, will the crews of STS-41D, 51-J and 49 receive pieces of their respective spacecraft (TPS tiles if nothing else I would think)?Jay ChladekIt has probably already been done. A few tiles tend to get replaced after each spaceflight and some of those have been recycled into pieces of memorabilia for VIPs and other dignitaries.As such, I think pieces from each shuttle may have indeed already gone to the respective astronauts who flew on them. Columbia had a lot of hardware removed in its refit before STS-9 for instance. OMDPs are also prime candidates for removal of hardware as well and each current shuttle has gone through about three or four OMDPs at least.There is a slim possibility I might get a chance to conduct an interview with General Kevin Chilton for a research project I am working on and he was the pilot of Endeavour's first mission. As such, I will ask him if I get the chance whether he was given a piece of that shuttle after that flight or when he retired from NASA.NavySpaceFanThat'd be great, Jay! If you get to do the interview, please pass my respects and congratulations on his new posting.
As such, I think pieces from each shuttle may have indeed already gone to the respective astronauts who flew on them. Columbia had a lot of hardware removed in its refit before STS-9 for instance. OMDPs are also prime candidates for removal of hardware as well and each current shuttle has gone through about three or four OMDPs at least.
There is a slim possibility I might get a chance to conduct an interview with General Kevin Chilton for a research project I am working on and he was the pilot of Endeavour's first mission. As such, I will ask him if I get the chance whether he was given a piece of that shuttle after that flight or when he retired from NASA.
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