President Bill Clinton, left, samples shuttle food with mission commander Curt Brown, center, and U. S. Sen. John Glenn. Glenn joined Brown's shuttle crew for a 1998 mission. Photo Credit/NASA photo
As NASA continues to distribute property from the agency’s long running space shuttle program, it is offering surplus food prepared for the astronauts who flew on the winged orbiters and thermal protection tiles that fended off the heat buildup during the high speed re-entry to qualified schools and universities.
The 135th and final shuttle mission touched down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on July 21, ending 30 years of operation.
While the orbiters themselves are headed for museums in the Washington, D. C., New York City, Cape Canaveral, Fla., and Los Angeles, Calif., areas, there is plenty of smaller shuttle memorabilia the agency has decided to make available as an incentive to students to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The light weight tiles are inert.
The food, though, is preserved without refrigeration and can be consumed through re-hydration or heating.
Qualified recipients are responsible for shipping and handling fees.
“Space Food for Schools” is offered in one package containing about three space food items for a shipping and handling fee of $28.03. “Tiles for Teachers” are offered for the shipping and handling fee of $23.40.
NASA selected space foods that tasted good to the astronauts. Care was taken to select nutrious foods and preserve them carefully to prevent illness. Photo Credit/NASA photo
Eligible institutions use National Center for Education Statistics or Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System numbers assigned by the U.S. Department of Education to apply for the artifacts. Requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Schools can register for a login ID and request a tile or food at:
http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm
If additional assistance is needed with registration, send an email to:
HQ-NASA-AWG@mail.nasa.gov
For more information on tiles, food and other NASA artifacts available to museums and libraries, visit:
http://artifacts.nasa.gov/
For lesson plans based on the tiles, visit:
http://artifacts.nasa.gov/shuttle_tiles_teachers.htm