NASA Space Shuttle Embedded Pen Blanks – Atlantis

NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Embedded Pen Blanks

NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis space-flown double embedded material blanks for Jr Series, Sierra Clone, and Shuttle Kit (Wood Turningz), and custom order tube size blanks available as singles or sets.

All blanks will come with one COA per blank.
COAs are 4" x 6" card stock with foil COA seal.

Blank Tube Size Descriptions:

• Jr Series blanks are double tube set 12.5mm tubes and 10.5mm lower tubes

• Sierra Clone blanks are single 27/64" tubes

• Shuttle Kit blanks are for the Shuttle Kit from Wood Turningz single 10mm tube.

• Custom single Tube or Double Tube Sets available. (Two Week Delivery) Specify tube size needed in notes at check out.

Space Shuttle Atlantis materials:

Hardin Collectibles, LLC, certifies that material supplied to the artisan of the accompanying hand-crafted item was sourced from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, NASA’s Orbiter Vehicle OV-104.

The embedded lower black material was sourced from a nose gear tire flown on the Atlantis during mission STS-27. This mission was the third flight of Atlantis launching on December 2, 1988 on a four-day mission where it carried a classified payload for the Department of Defense. The embedded upper foil was sourced from the Thermal Control System Blanket flown on the Atlantis during the STS-86 mission to the Mir space station for the seventh MIR docking mission.

During nearly 26 years of service from 1985 to 2011, the Atlantis flew 33 missions, carried 207 crew members, orbited our Earth 4,848 times, traveled 125,935,769 miles, and spent 306 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes, and 43 seconds in space travel.

Material Vision & Turning Notes:

Atlantis blanks combine the rugged texture of flown nose gear tire rubber with the reflective thermal blanket foil layers, creating dramatic contrast once polished. The materials accept standard woodturning techniques yet reward careful, light passes to preserve the embedded aerospace fibers. Turn these blanks into Jr Series, Sierra, or custom shuttle-style pens that become conversation pieces at any aviation event.

Finish Recommendation:

For the ultimate mirror-like shine that highlights every detail of the space-flown materials, we recommend our Magic Juice Polishing Compound.

Space Shuttle history:

The Space Shuttle was the first operational orbital spacecraft designed for reuse. Each Shuttle was designed for a projected lifespan of 100 launches or ten years of operational life, although this was later extended.

Each Space Shuttle was a reusable launch system composed of three main assemblies: the reusable orbital vehicle (OV), the expendable ET, and the two reusable solid rocket boosters (SRB). Only the OV entered orbit shortly after the tank and boosters are jettisoned. The vehicle was launched vertically like a conventional rocket, and the orbiter glided to a horizontal landing like an airplane, after which it was refurbished for reuse. The SRBs parachuted to splashdown in the ocean where they were towed back to shore and refurbished for later Shuttle missions.

Five operational OVs were built: Columbia (OV-102), Challenger (OV-099), Discovery (OV-103), Atlantis (OV-104), and Endeavour (OV-105). A mock-up, Inspiration, currently stands at the entrance to the Astronaut Hall of Fame. An additional craft, Enterprise (OV-101), was built for atmospheric testing gliding and landing; it was originally intended to be outfitted for orbital operations after the test program, but it was found more economical to upgrade the structural test article STA-099 into orbiter Challenger (OV-099).