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2001/84/325-1 Olympic torch, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 2000. Click to enlarge.
  • Image 1 of 3, 2001/84/325-1 Olympic torch, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 2000. Click to enlarge
  • Image 2 of 3, 2001/84/325-1 Olympic torch, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 2000. Click to enlarge
  • Image 3 of 3, 2001/84/325-1 Olympic torch, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 2000. Click to enlarge

Olympc torch modified for space flight

Designed
Like the Olympic games, human spaceflight activities at the beginning of the 21st Century are undertaken in a spirit of international co-operation, with the International Space Station, the world's largest current spaceflight project being undertaken by 16 nations. Space Shuttle and Russian Soyuz crews are frequently multi- national. Therefore, the flight of an Olympic torch aboard a Space Shuttle traveling to the International Space Station (ISS) is highly symbolic, representing humanity's …

This object is part of

2001/84/325 Olympic torch with shipping box, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 200
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Torch

Summary

Object No.

2001/84/325-1

Object Statement

Olympic torch, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 2000

Physical Description

Olympic torch, modified for space flight, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, chrome/ anodised aluminium/ plastic, designed by Blue Sky, Sydney, made by G A & L Harrington Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1999, flown on space shuttle flight STS-101 May 19-May 29, 2000

A modified Olympic Torch designed to be carried on board the Space Shuttle. The torch consists of shaped steel with pivoting cover sleeve for access to the area for the fuel cylinder. The torch tapers towards the base. The main body of the torch is polished steel. The cover is made up of two shells; the first shell is anodised blue steel. The second shell has a white powder coating with a silver Sydney 2000 logo on either side. The torch has been cut horizontally through the outer shell so that it could be dismantled for storage on the space shuttle.

Marks

A silver Sydney 2000 logo appears on either side of the torch.

Short URL

https://ma.as/342920

Production

Designed

Made

Notes

Original torch designed by Blue Sky, with concept submitted to SOCOG on 28 February 1998. The modifications for flight on the Space Shuttle were developed in consultation with NASA to meet its space flight safety requirements. To prevent fire risk on board the Shuttle, the torch's interior flame-making mechanism was removed. To fit within a Shuttle mid-deck locker, the torch shell was cut into two parts, but to enable it to be displayed post-flight as a complete torch, a tightly fitting plastic plug was designed to hold the two pieces together. This plug is inserted in the base of the larger segment of the torch and extends beyond it to provide a 'lug' which then fits snugly inside the smaller piece, making a secure connection.

Manufactured by G.A and L Harrington Pty. Ltd., circa December 1999. The required NASA modifications were carried out by Harrington.

History

Used

Notes

This torch was carried on the STS-101 Space Shuttle mission, launched May 19 2000, landed May 29 2000. Promotion of the torch's flight on the Shuttle Atlantis, both before and during the mission, was intended to highlight the international spirit of the Olympic Games and the international co-operation of the International Space Station program. (STS-101 was an ISS construction mission with a multi-national crew). The flight was also intended to draw attention to the Olympic torch relay, which commenced in the Oceania region on May 22.

During the period of the Olympic Games until December 2000, this space-flown torch was displayed in the Powerhouse Museum in conjunction with the torches used to light the Olympic flame at the opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Made for and owned by the Olympic Coordination Authority/Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, and donated to the Powerhouse Museum after the Games.

Cite this Object

Harvard

Olympc torch modified for space flight 2022, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 9 February 2023, <https://ma.as/342920>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/342920 |title=Olympc torch modified for space flight |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=9 February 2023 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}

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