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Space Shuttle Close Out Crew leader’s suit placed on display at Smithsonian

Those who remember watching Space Shuttle launches on NASA TV may remember the iconic white suits of the Shuttle’s Close Out Crew. Now you can get up close with a suit at the National Air and Space Museum’s building in Virginia.

Travis Thompson worked every Space Shuttle mission from STS-1 through STS-135 for the company in charge of its upkeep, United Space Alliance. By the time the shuttle program came to an end he served as the Close Out Crew team leader, always marked with a “1” on his uniform.

Now that jumpsuit is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, steps away from Space Shuttle Discovery. The display includes Thompson’s personal suit, hat, and patch for the final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery.

The ceremony hosted at the center in Virginia was hosted by NASA’s Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. She flew to space three times as a NASA astronaut, twice on Discovery, and all three times she was buckled in with the help of Thompson.

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Avatar for Seth Kurkowski Seth Kurkowski

Seth Kurkowski covers launches and general space news for Space Explored. He has been following launches from Florida since 2018.