Reinforced Carbon-Carbon

Upon reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the Columbia orbiter suffered a catastrophic failure due to a breach that occurred during launch when falling foam from the External Tank struck the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the underside of the left wing.

The ‘Remembering Columbia’ Museum’s main gallery features a shuttle nose cap, leading edge panel, as well as other RCC components. According to NASA, the RCC has an operating range of minus 250° F to about 3,000° F.