Intro music.
For the Space Shuttle orbiter, blankets do more than keep away the cold.
They also offer protection from intense heat.
Made of a woven ceramic fabric, special blankets are used in several areas on the orbiter.
For example, the blankets help insulate the vehicle's Reinforced Carbon-Carbon nose cap.
In preparation for Discovery's Return to Flight mission, STS-114,
workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center recently manufactured and installed the nose cap blankets.
It was the first time the two-month process was completed entirely at KSC.
Blanket pieces must be cut, quilted together, and trimmed to exact measurements.
Then they are heat-cleaned and waterproofed in large ovens resembling pizza ovens.
Finally, they are attached to a support structure and installed in the nose cap.
When the Shuttle returns to flight, the blankets will help protect it from the extreme temperatures it will face during its mission.