AN UNUSED HEAT SHIELD FRAGMENT
American, third quarter 20th century. This small triangular fragment of a heat shield, probably of Gemini VIII, astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott, March 16, 1966.

Constructed by McDonnell, the heat shield's base is of resin-impregnated fiberglass honeycomb and the outer layer of ablative material is fiberglass honeycomb filled with silicone elastomer. The shield created a shock wave that held off most of the heat during the capsule's reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Ablative cased heat shields as these are not reusable, so this preserved example is one portion that was never utilized.
2 x 2 in. (5.1 x 5.1 cm.)