Was there ever a quilt in Space?

The Space Shuttle Program has come to end and with it the age of the transportation to and from the Space Station for the United States.  Throughout the 30 year history, I have lived most of those years in South Florida.

 The mighty blast off from Cape Canaveral thundered for 135 shuttle flights.  Some rose in the morning skies and while many others lit up the night sky.   Living in Naples and as long as the weather cooperated for Mission Control, we were in the direct flight path for the shuttle landings.  As the shuttles would slow in speed, Naples was directly below the mighty glider as it broke the sound barrier.    It became a common saying when you would hear the loud double “boom – boom” to say to another, “The shuttle is here!”

As Atlantis began her decent across the clear early morning sky on July 22nd, I got up early.  6:57 a.m. EST was touch down, but for me, that mean 6:35ish a.m. I needed to be out and on the lookout.    

In that wanning crescent moon light, coming out of the south and heading toward its final landing was Atlantis.  I stood there and watched it cross the early morning sky, lit up by the moon and I wondered, in all of those 135 flights into space, did a quilt ever make the journey? 

My thoughts were interrupted by the famous “boom – boom.”  “The shuttle is here!” one last time.  So if a quilt had never made its way on board these flights, quilters, we need to ask our Russian quilting friends to take over the quest. 

There needs to be a quilt in space!