posted August 18, 2009 08:20 AM               

Jim Tull was on his boat when he found a large chunk of metal, which looks like it could be from the nose of the doomed space shuttle, Challenger. A NASA spokesman said keeping parts of a shuttle is illegal, but Tull says he's waiting for a letter back from them, and is hoping to work with the space agency. Tull said he wants to display the piece all over town, and use it as a teaching tool.

WJXT offers more details and imagery of the supposed part from Challenger found by Jim Tull of Jim's Automotive in Jacksonville:

"NASA's waiting to send me a letter back," Tull said. "They said, 'Hang on,' after I sent them some pictures. And they said, 'You can possibly keep it.' Maybe the one that blew up over Texas, every speck of that they need for investigation. This one here, maybe let me keep it. Go ahead and teach with it."

Tull said if NASA gives him the OK to keep it, the part will make it out of the garage, and he hopes all over town.

"I'll take some to the Coast Guard, take to the Captain's Club, put on display and talk about it," Tull said.

Video stills: WJXT/news4jax.com

posted August 18, 2009 11:52 AM               

That being said, I can't imagine how many fragments of Challenger and Columbia have turned up that a) people keep and don't say anything about or b) people see and discard.

posted August 18, 2009 11:09 PM               

Tull also says he saw similar pieces at a museum in the Bahamas.

posted August 19, 2009 12:27 AM               

The Outer Space Treaty ("Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies"), which forms the basis for international space law, includes a provision that nations retain ownership of their spacecraft regardless of where it lands on Earth.

A State Party to the Treaty on whose registry an object launched into outer space is carried shall retain jurisdiction and control over such object, and over any personnel thereof, while in outer space or on a celestial body. Ownership of objects launched into outer space, including objects landed or constructed on a celestial body, and of their component parts, is not affected by their presence in outer space or on a celestial body or by their return to the Earth. Such objects or component parts found beyond the limits of the State Party to the Treaty on whose registry they are carried shall be returned to that State Party, which shall, upon request, furnish identifying data prior to their return.

posted August 19, 2009 11:30 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by robsouth:
That part of Challenger is not the finders, it does not belong to him and he should return it or be made to return it.

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posted August 20, 2009 09:09 PM               

However, the white "paint" seems a bit strange...most aircraft leave the frame with that green zinc-chromate primer, except for some floor beams and interior parts. I recall space shuttle assembly photos showing the green primer color, not white.

The "owner" does not clearly state where or how he found it while in his boat. It looks far too heavy to have been floating on the surface, so was it washed up in some shallow area? In the Bahamas or somewhere else?

posted August 20, 2009 10:13 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by DoRon:
Prior to seeing that photo, I was under the impression that there were no recovered 51L items that were kept outside of the missile silo.

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posted August 21, 2009 05:20 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by 328KF:
I don't know what coating Airbus uses on its aircraft, but if this was recovered recently and in such good shape, could it be that it more likey came from the ill-fated Air France flight?

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