In 1998 UT physics professor Dr. Bill Blass and two colleagues, from the Goddard Space Flight Center and New Mexico State University, utilized a NASA camera (the Acousto-Optic imaging Spectrometer) used to study Martian rocks to determine the specific areas of repair needed on the United States Flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the national anthem. The first step in a three-year multi-year project to repair and conserve the woolen flag with cotton stars, the team worked nearly continuously from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., seven days a week for two and a half weeks, to scan the flag in 71 square segments. Each image took about 50 minutes to make. A computer pieced together the camera images for the restoration team.
The scanned flag served both as a guide for restoration and as a baseline on the condition of the flag. The size of the flag was 30 feet by 34 feet. The flag was originally 42 feet by 30 feet but diminished in size as pieces were given out for souvenirs. The flag was privately owned until it was donated to the Smithsonian in 1912. A linen backing was stitched to the flag in 1914 to strengthen it. The flag is so thin in places that one can see through it.