Seventeen handcrafted beads made by nine different artists across North America were also on board Atlantis during the STS-132 mission. NASA teamed up with Beads of Courage, Inc., an approved public charity to bring hope and inspiration to children coping with serious illnesses through the Beads in Space project (the idea of Jamie Newton, an employee at the Marshall Space Flight Center). The 17 beads weigh eight ounces and were selected after a contest organized by Beads of Courage that attracted 54 beads.
