Originally Posted by samurai

The space shuttle tiles look like styrofoam, feel like styrofoam to the touch, but it isn't styrofoam.

Insulation is used to (duh) insulate. Whether it is to keep whatever it is covering warm or cool. The optical properties (absorptivity and emissivity) of the materials are different between the black insulation and the gold insulation. Shiny surfaces are used to keep absorptivity low and emissivity high so that you deflect heat don't cook whatever you are covering. if absorptivity is low and emissivity is high, it is the opposite effect.

Originally Posted by ryball

10 minutes till "landing"

Originally Posted by OneManArmy

I talked to an old timer at the rodeo. He said he was at the grand stands at the Salinas Rodeo the day they landed. Pretty cool. Man older folks lived through some rad stuff.