Gorgeous handcrafted quilt created by Jean Wright, a former Aerospace Composite Tech of Soft Goods for NASA’s space shuttle program. Entitled 'Launch at Dawn,' the quilt measures approximately 58 x 79 and is comprised of cotton, various batiks, metallic copper solar shield film (aluminized polymide), and three pieces of Beta cloth (totaling seven square inches) that flew aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis; the Beta cloth, previously used as cargo bay liner, was removed from the areas between Bays 1 and 2. According to Wright, the design of the quilt represents the tremendous energy and flames of a NASA rocket launch. Stitched to the underside of the quilt is a fabric information sheet signed in black ink by Wright and listing contact information. In fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, in part: “This certificate verifies that the accompanying quilt, created by Thermal Blanket Technician Jean Wright, is genuine and that the flown Beta cloth used in its design is authentic.” Wright worked on the Endeavor, Atlantis, and Discovery spacecrafts, hand-sewing thermal protection between the gaps in shuttle tiles, referred to as ‘gap fillers,’ which acted as a kind of bumper so the tiles didn’t crack as they vibrated against each other during reentry. Originating from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, a portion of the proceeds for the sale of this item will be donated to the ASF.
