Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.
To ensure you receive your Texas Iron and Metal emails, please add maxr@texasironandmetal.com to your address book
 
Supplying the News. Bringing you the Latest at Texas Iron & Metal and in Industry-Related News. December 2011 Welding the Future of Space Exploration In 2011, Houston — and America — bid farewell to the National Aeronautical and Space Administration's (NASA) shuttle program. What's on the horizon for space exploration? NASA plans to spur a new industry of commercial spaceflight, known as the Commercial Crew Development program (CCDev), which provides grant money to private companies for research and development to create space 'ferries' for cargo, astronauts traveling to the International Space Station (ISS), nations or companies launching satellites or wealthy space tourists. The goal is to use established technology to create more efficient and less expensive spaceflight in partnership with private industry. Eventually, NASA astronauts may be able to purchase tickets for routine missions at low Earth orbit (50-1,250 miles up) much like airline passengers do, allowing NASA to focus its limited funds on long-term, more exciting missions, such as visiting Mars or returning to the moon. NASA has identified four companies that will begin preliminary designs for spacecraft, ground infrastructure, operation centers and other facilities: • Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) • Sierra Nevada Corp. • Blue Origin • Boeing Co. (Boeing has helped build every manned spacecraft launched in the U.S.) Envisioning a bold venture of your own? Come to Texas Iron & Metal for all the new and surplus steel and other metals you need to launch your next project. You want it, we've got it. Now that's supply on demand! Source: Weiner, Steven B., 'Adrift in Space.' FORWARD Magazine, July/August 2011 Steel in Space • Friendship 7, the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Earth in 1962, had exterior shingles made of nickel-steel alloy. • The Apollo 11 mission, which marked the first lunar landing, left a stainless steel plaque on the moon signed by President Richard Nixon and crewmembers Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr., reading 'Here men from planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.' • Hard-shell space suits are made of metal and composite materials, including stainless steel. • The main components of the shuttle, the orbiter, external tank and rocket boosters, are made from titanium and aluminum alloy, chosen for their light weight and corrosion resistance. • Each launch pad has a Flame Trench Deflector System that bisects the site at ground level. It is an inverted, V-shaped steel structure covered with 5-inch thick concrete to deflect flames from the orbiter main engines and rocket boosters. • The space shuttle's orbiter main engines have an exterior composed nearly entirely of steel. These engines operate at greater temperature extremes than any other machinery — liquid hydrogen and oxygen are burned at temperatures of nearly 6,000°F, hotter than the boiling point of iron. • The International Space Station (ISS) is composed of a variety of metals, including aluminum, steel, iron, gold and copper. • The ISS has two 220-pound gyroscopes, or flywheels, made of stainless steel that rotate 6,600 times per minute to deflect debris. • The ISS plumbing system has pipes made of stainless steel (as opposed to PVC or copper in homes).
A Surplus of Giving Chai Lifeline. At this time of year, when so many children experience the joys of the holidays, it is important to remember the children whose lives have been disrupted by life-threatening or lifelong illnesses. Texas Iron & Metal is a proud supporter of Chai Lifeline, which serves as a support system for families with children battling serious pediatric illnesses. This organization offers programs to address emotional, social and financial needs of these children and their families, including: • Camps • Fun activities and events • Vacations • Counseling and crisis intervention • Hospital and community services • Educational assistance To learn more about how your support can bring joy to a child or family this holiday season, visit chailifeline.org. http://www.chailifeline.org/index.php Supplying Thanks A special thanks to you, our valued customers! Through your October purchases, you made it possible for Texas Iron & Metal to make a generous donation to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund. We are grateful for all that our firefighters do to protect us and the great state of Texas.
Steel Gifts for the Holidays Need some holiday gift or 'stocking stuffer' ideas? Steel a few from us! We've compiled a list of great steel gifts, ranging from the conventional to the unusual — but sure to please! 1. Stainless steel water bottle, carafes or tumblers. 2. 2-in-1 stainless steel corkscrew and bottle opener (for the bartender!). 3. Tool set, including pocket knife, screwdriver and steel compass. 4. Cookware/BBQ tools, including knives, pots, pans and utensils — or just go for the BBQ grill! 5. Jewelry, including bracelets, rings, necklaces and watches. 6. Steel drum. 7. Picture frame. 8. Stainless steel appliances, from refrigerators to dishwashers to washer/dryers. 9. Lamp. 10. Golf clubs. 11. Cufflinks and tie tacks. 12. Wine bucket. 13. Beer stein. 14. Sculpture. 15. Plaque.
Saving You Green. We're featuring 8 inch x 11.5# and 10 inch x 15.3# channel and other great deals on our specials page. Head over to our website to check them out! [Click Here] http://www.texasironandmetal.com/specials/index.html
Mind over Matter Metal. Be the first to correctly answer our trivia question and win a FREE T-shirt. Good luck! How many people walked on the moon throughout the six Apollo missions? [Click Here] to submit your answer. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/facts/facts-index.html
Providing for All Your Steel and Metal Needs • Fast on-site loading • Same-day or next-day delivery • Prime and Less-Than-Prime© steel and pipe • Saw and flame cutting to size • Hard-to-find items • Orders tailored to fit your specifications and budget Do you know of someone who has excess steel or other metals to sell? We want it! Be the first to give us the tip and we'll pay you a finder's fee! Call 713.672.7595 or email buyer@texasironandmetal.com to learn more! http://texasironandmetal.com/secondary_steel/form/finders_fees.html
Questions, comments or concerns? Send them to the president! maxr@texasironandmetal.com 865 Lockwood Drive Houston, Texas 77020 713.672.7595 texasironandmetal.com
 
Add us to your address book
 
Texas Iron and Metal Texas Iron and Metal Texas Iron and Metal Like us on Facebook Twitter Finder Fees maxr@texasironandmetal.com buyer@texasironandmetal.com Finder Fees December Trivia Chai Lifeline Saving you Green