posted 09-15-2000 07:33 AM               

#439005070

"flown STS88 FIB Blanket."

First, can anyone tell me what FIB stands for,a nd where it goes? Second: what gets me here is that the title says "flown", but the describtion says "removed in preperation" for flight. It does appear to have real documentation; me thinks it was NOT flown, but could be real.

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-Ben

posted 09-15-2000 09:28 AM               

I would suspect FIB is Forward Insulation Blanket, which mean it was installed in the payload bay (cargo bay).

Because of the way NASA keeps its records, the only way to tell when a piece of hardware like this has flown is by referencing the date of removal. Most pieces fly until damaged or to the point they outlive their intended life-span.

So, the likelihood is that this piece of FIB flew several missions aboard Endeavour, but was removed prior to STS-88.

I've bought from this seller before and can speak to the authenticity of what he offers.

- Robert