Comes with a hand-signed C.O.A. and a full historical research write-up

Thanks to the overwhelming demand for our authentic "Piece of History" display collections, we are excited to introduce one of our very first “Piece of History” NASA patch display collections! This incredible NASA astronaut “Piece of History“ display is professionally encased in a glass display case with plush padding and a tightly sealed display case. This display case is our large size and measures a perfect 8 inches tall x 6 inches wide.

This series is a limited edition, meaning that each “Piece of History” display is unique and may vary slightly from the display shown. These displays stand as a distinctive and invaluable addition to the collection of any NASA, Apollo, or history enthusiast.
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This incredibly rare and very historic piece of NASA space history is an original "STS-81" Space Shuttle Atlantis astronaut mission match that was worn as well as given to astronauts, mission control personnel, and other NASA scientists who played a role in the STS-81 mission.

Launched on January 12, 1997, the STS-81 mission was the 81st Space Shuttle flight and the 18th for Atlantis, marking the fifth docking with the Mir space station.

It exchanged astronaut John Blaha with Jerry Linenger, delivered 6,000 pounds of supplies, and returned 2,000 pounds of experiment results.

The crew conducted significant scientific research on human physiology and microgravity, advancing space exploration and international cooperation, and paving the way for the International Space Station.

Mission Facts:
Mission: Fifth Shuttle-Mir Docking
Space Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch Pad: 39B
Launched: January 12, 1997, 4:27:23 a.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: January 22, 1997, 9:22:44 a.m. EST
Runway: 33
Rollout Distance: 9,350 feet
Rollout Time: 69 seconds
Revolution: 160
Mission Duration: 10 days, 4 hours, 55 minutes, 21 seconds
Orbit Altitude: 184 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 51.60 degrees
Miles Traveled: 4.1 million

Crew:
Michael Baker, Commander
Brent Jett, Pilot
John Grunsfeld, Mission Specialist
John Blaha, Mission Specialist
Peter J.K. (Jeff) Wisoff, Mission Specialist
Jerry Linenger, Mission Specialist
Marsha Ivins, Mission Specialist



We authenticate our piece of history at the micro level! During the authentication process sometimes we use high-res microscopes. In one of the last images of the listing, I included a few high-res images of the “Original NASA STS-81 Space Shuttle Astronaut Mission Patch” that was done during this authentication process!

*In the last images of this listing, you will see three digitally sourced historical images of this item and its role in history!

This would make an amazing addition to any NASA, Apollo, or space history enthusiast collection.