KMC Forums - I know where you can buy a shuttle tile from Columbia!

http://store.yahoo.com/spacestore/shuttletile.html

Here is the info:

This actual piece of Space Shuttle Tile Material was made for the Space Shuttle Columbia, the first Space Shuttle to fly in outer space. Packaging includes a clear plastic box with an authentic piece of Space Shuttle Tile Material resting on a sky blue foam insert. It is an excellent educational piece for kids and also makes a great conversational piece. This tile material protects the shuttle during flight. The tile is a very small piece, approximately 1/2 inch square or triangle - the size and shape will vary. It is meant as a souvenir and there is very little of this original material available. Shuttle tile is so fragile we recommend you handle it as little as possible.

In October 1978 D.G. Noble was assigned as Chief of U.S. Air Force Quality Assurance on all NASA contracts at Lockheed Missile and Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California. The main NASA contract at that time was for the production of Space Shuttle tile for the first Space Shuttle to go into outer space, Columbia. At that time, Space Shuttle Tiles were being thrown into a large discard receptacle. There were no policies in effect at that time precluding removal of anything from these receptacles. Noble's interest in the discard tile at that time was as an insulating material for a fireplace, so he removed enough material to accomplish this purpose. A few years later a NASA representative came to Noble's home to discuss when and how he obtained the discarded Space Shuttle Tile. It was decided that Noble had obtained the Space Shuttle Tile legally and could be sold commercially.

This shuttle tile is not from the loss of STS-107 - it is from the original construction of Columbia