Space shuttle thermal foil

This piece of space shuttle thermal protection system (TPS) foil was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during mission STS-86, which took place in September 1997. This mission was significant as it was the seventh docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian space station Mir, marking an important milestone in international space cooperation. During STS-86, Atlantis delivered supplies, equipment, and astronaut David A. Wolf to Mir while bringing astronaut C. Michael Foale back to Earth. The foil, part of the shuttle's outer layer designed to protect it against the extreme temperatures of re-entry into Earth's atmosphere