This is a commemorative plaque saying, "Welcome Home, Columbia. Your Practice Made Perfect." The plaque is from the Link Flight Simulation Division of The Singer Company in Binghamton, New York.
The message is that Link – through its complex spacecraft simulator – has made space travel safer. Astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen are mentioned on the plaque, so it appears that this plaque was presented after the return of their April 12-14, 1981, mission.
Sadly, the Columbia Space Shuttle broke up over Texas on February 1, 2003, resulting in the loss of all seven astronauts on board.
The plaque has a wood-grain finish in the background. The outer edges and border around the picture are old-gold in color. The bottom right corner says, "Aviation Week & Space Technology." The back side of the plaque has an easel type stand.
The item is in good condition. There are some light surface scratches on the acrylic coating that can be seen when the plaque is turned in the light. There is some light scuffing to the outer corners, but could probably be touched up with a paint marker. The lower left corner has been dinged – looks like it might have been dropped and landed on that corner. It isn’t obvious when looking at the plaque from the front side.
The back side is a type of masonite board. There is a watermark on the upper right edge. There is some wear to the outer corner of the cardboard stand. The back side also has a sticker from Virginia Plak, LTD. of New York stuck on it.
Please include $7.50 for shipping and insurance in the U.S.
This would be a nice addition to a Space Shuttle collection!
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