NASA offers shuttle heat tiles to school

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has announced schools will be able to obtain 7,000 space shuttle heat shield tiles for only the shipping and handling price of $23.40.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the tiles, which protected the shuttles from the extreme temperatures of re-entering Earth's atmosphere, will be awarded to learning institutions on a first-come, first-served basis, Florida Today reported Thursday.

NASA said only organizations with Department of Education statistics tracking numbers will be considered.