Statue of Liberty Copper Pieces Flew in Space
Space shuttle Discovery carried two 38cm-tall replicas of the Statue of Liberty into space in 1985, made from copper removed during the statue's restoration.
The space shuttle Discovery carried two miniature replicas of the Statue of Liberty into space in April 1985 as part of the STS-51D mission.
These 38.1 cm statues were crafted from copper that had been removed from the original Statue of Liberty during its then-ongoing restoration. The pieces represented a tangible connection to the monument's history.
Following the week-long STS-51D mission, one of the space-flown statues was placed on public display. The second statue was melted down to create copper seals, which were then sold to the public by the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Centennial Commission.
The journey into space offered a unique way to commemorate the Statue of Liberty's legacy while repurposing historical material.