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Ars Technica Jul 6, 2026 at 19:57 Big Tech Rising Hot

What is the oldest American object ever launched into space?

From a Revolutionary War flag to the Statue of Liberty...

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By Robert Pearlman Original source
What is the oldest American object ever launched into space?

Did you know that the space shuttle once launched the Statue of Liberty into space? In fact, there were two "Lady Liberties" on board Discovery when it lifted off on its fourth flight in April 1985. To be fair, each statue was only 15 inches tall (38.1 centimeters), but they were also each made of copper that was removed from the full-size statue during its then-still-ongoing restoration. After the weeklong STS-51D mission was over, one of the space-flown statues was placed on display, and the other was melted down to create copper seals, which were then sold to the public by the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Centennial Commission. Read full article Comments

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Jul 6, 2026 at 19:57 Ars Technica

What is the oldest American object ever launched into space?

From a Revolutionary War flag to the Statue of Liberty...

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