In our previous article, From Liftoff to Legacy: The Story of the Space Shuttle's Solid Rocket Boosters, we explored the role Solid Rocket Boosters played in every Space Shuttle launch and introduced Aft Skirt Serial Number 13, the historic component behind our upcoming PlaneTags release.
But where exactly did this hardware fly?
According to California Science Center records, Aft Skirt 13 supported 11 Space Shuttle missions between 1982 and 2002, launching aboard missions involving Columbia, Challenger, Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour.
Unlike many aerospace artifacts that can be tied to a single event or mission, Aft Skirt 13 witnessed the evolution of the entire Shuttle program. Its flight history spans the early operational years of the Shuttle, the first untethered spacewalk, classified Department of Defense missions, Earth observation programs, Hubble Space Telescope servicing, and the construction of the International Space Station. By following the missions of Aft Skirt 13, we can trace the remarkable story of the Space Shuttle itself. Get your SRB PlaneTags.
The Early Shuttle Era (1982–1985)
When Aft Skirt 13 first flew aboard STS-5 in November 1982, the Space Shuttle program was still proving its potential.
Columbia is launched from Launch Pad 39A on its fifth flight and first operational mission. By NASA on The Commons - STS-5 Launch, No restrictions, Link
STS-5 was the first fully operational Space Shuttle mission. Flying aboard Columbia, the crew deployed two commercial communications satellites, demonstrating that the Shuttle could move beyond testing and begin regular service. NASA's vision of a reusable spacecraft capable of supporting commercial, scientific, and government customers was beginning to take shape.
Just over a year later, Aft Skirt 13 returned to space aboard Challenger on STS-41B, one of the most memorable missions in Shuttle history. During the mission, astronaut Bruce McCandless performed the first untethered spacewalk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), creating one of the most iconic images ever captured in spaceflight: a lone astronaut floating freely above Earth with no physical connection to a spacecraft.
Photo courtesy of NASA, Public Domain
In 1985, Aft Skirt 13 flew again on STS-51F, carrying the Spacelab 2 research mission. During ascent, one of Challenger's three main engines shut down unexpectedly, forcing NASA to abort the planned orbit and adapt the mission profile. Despite the setback, the crew successfully completed most of the mission's scientific objectives, demonstrating the resilience of both the Shuttle system and its crews.
By the end of 1985, Aft Skirt 13 had already participated in some of the most significant milestones of the Shuttle's formative years.
Recovery and Expansion (1990–1994)
Following the Challenger accident in 1986, NASA spent years redesigning systems, reviewing procedures, and rebuilding confidence in the Shuttle program.
When Aft Skirt 13 returned to flight aboard Atlantis on STS-36 in 1990, it did so as part of a very different era. STS-36 was a classified Department of Defense mission, and much of its payload and objectives remain undisclosed today. The mission highlighted the important role the Shuttle played in national security operations during the final years of the Cold War.
The following year, Atlantis carried Aft Skirt 13 into orbit again on STS-43. This mission deployed a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), part of NASA's communications network that allows spacecraft to maintain near-continuous contact with Earth. The TDRS system remains a critical component of NASA operations today.
Four+ hour long extravehicular activity (EVA) on January 17, 1993. Photo by NASA.
In 1993, Aft Skirt 13 launched aboard Endeavour for STS-54. While the mission's primary objective was deploying another TDRS satellite, astronauts also conducted a spacewalk that tested tools and procedures that would later be used during construction of the International Space Station.
The next year, STS-68 placed Aft Skirt 13 aboard Endeavour once again, this time supporting the Space Radar Laboratory mission. Using advanced radar systems, astronauts mapped Earth's surface, oceans, and atmosphere, helping scientists better understand environmental changes on a global scale.
By the mid-1990s, the Shuttle program had matured into a versatile platform supporting national security, communications, scientific research, and Earth observation.
Research, Discovery, and Hubble
The second half of the 1990s saw the Shuttle increasingly focused on scientific research and international cooperation.
STS-77 and STS-85 carried experiments ranging from materials science and biotechnology to atmospheric studies and Earth observation. These missions demonstrated the Shuttle's value as a laboratory in orbit, supporting research that could not be performed on Earth.
Perhaps the most significant mission in Aft Skirt 13's flight history came in December 1999 aboard Discovery's STS-103 mission. Earlier that year, the Hubble Space Telescope had suffered the failure of multiple gyroscopes, leaving one of humanity's most important scientific instruments unable to conduct observations. NASA responded with an urgent servicing mission.
During five demanding spacewalks, astronauts replaced gyroscopes, computers, and other critical hardware, restoring Hubble to full operation. The mission extended the telescope's life and helped ensure decades of scientific discoveries that continue to shape our understanding of the universe today. For many space enthusiasts, STS-103 remains one of the defining achievements of the Shuttle era.
Building Humanity's Outpost in Space
The final documented mission of Aft Skirt 13 reflects how dramatically the Shuttle program had evolved since its first flight in 1982. In April 2002, Atlantis launched on STS-110, delivering the S0 Truss to the International Space Station. This massive structural component formed the backbone of the station's integrated truss system, providing support for future solar arrays, radiators, and other critical hardware.
Docking approach of the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo courtesy of NASA, Public Domain
By this point, the Shuttle was no longer focused primarily on deploying satellites or conducting standalone missions. It had become the primary construction vehicle for assembling the largest structure ever built in space. The International Space Station remains continuously occupied today, making STS-110 a fitting final chapter in the documented flight history of Aft Skirt 13.
One Component, Many Chapters of Shuttle History
Most pieces of Shuttle hardware are remembered for a single mission. Aft Skirt 13 tells a different story.
Over the course of 11 documented missions, it supported launches involving all five Space Shuttle orbiters and participated in some of the program's most significant moments: the first operational Shuttle missions, the first untethered spacewalk, classified national security operations, Earth science programs, the rescue of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the construction of the International Space Station. Few surviving Shuttle artifacts can claim such a broad view of NASA's most ambitious human spaceflight program.
Today, thanks to preservation efforts at the California Science Center and MotoArt PlaneTags, the story of Aft Skirt 13 continues long after its final launch.
Coming July 9: Space Shuttle SRB Aft Skirt 13 PlaneTags
Today, Aft Skirt Serial Number 13 continues to inspire future generations in a new way.
The component is now part of the Solid Rocket Booster Walk-Through Experience in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery at the California Science Center's future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. The exhibit will allow visitors to experience a genuine Space Shuttle-era Solid Rocket Booster from the inside, helping tell the story of how rockets carried astronauts, satellites, and scientific missions into space.
Photo from @californiasciencecenter on Instagram
MotoArt was honored to assist the California Science Center in preparing Aft Skirt 13 for its new role in the exhibit. During that process, a portion of the material was carefully preserved, allowing this remarkable piece of Space Shuttle history to continue its story beyond the museum walls.
On July 9, 2026, PlaneTags collectors and spaceflight enthusiasts will have the opportunity to own a piece of that history through a limited release crafted from authentic material from Aft Skirt Serial Number 13.
Subscribers to the SRB Aft Skirt mailing list will receive exclusive early access, giving them one hour to shop before the collection becomes available to the general public. Given the significance of this release and the strong interest it has already generated, we encourage collectors to join the list before launch day and be among the first to secure their piece of Space Shuttle history.
Explore the NASA Collection
Aft Skirt 13 joins a growing collection of NASA and spaceflight artifacts preserved by PlaneTags.
From aircraft that supported America's space program to components that helped shape the future of exploration, each release represents a unique chapter in aerospace history. Highlights include material from NASA aircraft as well as Mobile Launcher Platform 2 (MLP-2), the launch platform that supported 46 Space Shuttle missions and Saturn V/Apollo-era flights, before it was demolished by NASA to make room for new infrastructure. Read more about the project: MLP-2: Launching NASA's Legacy for Fifty Years
Whether your passion is human spaceflight, aviation history, or the engineering achievements that made them possible, the NASA Collection offers a chance to connect with the machines that helped expand our understanding of the world and beyond.
Explore the NASA Collection and discover the stories behind these extraordinary artifacts.
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