|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Value guidance for flown Challenger HRSI tile
|
Jzaharek53
New Member Posts: 1
From: Cedarville, OH, USA
Registered: Mar 2026
|
posted 03-21-2026 11:23 AM
   
I've been trying for a while to get a realistic sense of what something like this is actually worth and figured this would be the place to ask.I have a flown HRSI tile from Challenger (OV-099) with the original Kennedy Space Center "Flown Hardware" tag, and the serial on the tile matches the tag. Details as best as I can gather: - OV-099 (Challenger)
- Tag dated Nov 14, 1984 (so post STS-41G timeframe)
- HRSI tile
- Part number: 395037-009
- Serial: H26623 (matches stencil)
- Roughly 6 x 6 x 1.1 in
- From the aft fuselage lower / body flap area
Condition is decent but not perfect. A few edge chips, but the surface shows clear evidence of atmospheric reentry, including localized pitting, micro-cracking, and discoloration from extreme thermal stress, along with iridescent "rainbowing" caused by heat-induced changes in the tile's silica coating. These features are characteristic of flown thermal protection tiles and reflect real operational exposure, not post-flight damage or mishandling.From what I've seen, most shuttle tiles that come up don't have a matching tag or much info tied to them, so I'm assuming this is a bit above the typical examples. That said, I've had a really hard time figuring out what the actual market is for something like this. A few things I'm trying to understand: - Where would something like this realistically land value-wise today?
- Does having a known location on the orbiter (aft fuselage/body flap) move the needle much?
- Is it worth trying to track down deeper documentation through NASA, or does that not really change things in practice?
- If I did decide to sell it, is this something better suited for a major auction or more of a private collector-to-collector type of thing?
Not in a rush to sell, just trying to understand what I actually have and what the market looks like for it.Appreciate any thoughts from those who've dealt with shuttle hardware before.  
|
Rocket Chris
Member Posts: 469
From: Guttentag
Registered: Nov 2009
|
posted 03-23-2026 01:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Jzaharek53:
Is it worth trying to track down deeper documentation through NASA, or does that not really change things in practice?
That's the legit question everyone has who owns a tile. The entire database including all documentation associated to any removed tile is archived, but not accessible to public. So beside position, the accompanying KSC Problem Report (Form 2-151), which documents de-integration from the Orbiter and reason, is the most valuable evidence and most important documentation which underlines any legitimacy. As the Shuttle program was still active, the option of a FOIA request to NASA was possible, requesting any accompanying documentation, if details of the tile (see above) could be provided. But since the Shuttle program was terminated, this option is no longer given. So, bet it is nearly impossible to dig for more documentation. Anyway, a neat tile and rare relict, keeping in mind that items of Challenger are super rare. My estimation: keep it! Part of history  | |
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright collectSPACE. All rights reserved.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
|
|
|
 advertisement
|
