Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

buySPACE
marketplace for space collectibles

Resources
selected space history documents

Websites
related space history websites

- collectSPACE Museum -

Artifacts
space flown and ground hardware

Autographs
who's who in space: first 25 years

Books
galleys, advanced reading copies

Medallions
flown and minted with flown metal

Philatelics
first day programs, flown stamps

← Previous Next →

Space Shuttle Commemorative Patch Entry
Artist-supplied caption:

The concept is simple--remember life at every hour. The patch commemorates the life of the orbiter and the lives of those astronauts lost onboard Challenger and Columbia. Through life, memories are made, and the success of the Space Shuttle Program is remembered.

In graphic form, the patch is a sundial. The years 1981 (the first shuttle launch) and 2010 (the last) are fitted at the two edges. The space shuttle orbiter is shown as a blueprint--the beginning--embarking on a journey into a sunset--the end. The two gold shuttles flanking the patch represent Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003). And the seven stars represent the crew of seven from those two flights. The center star is slightly larger to accentuate the center of the sundial. The shuttle is the main object of the sundial (the tail being the gnomon) and it pulls the seven stars forward as it flies. However, the shuttle does not cast a shadow in the design--its legacy is vivid. And the last element of the patch sums up the overall concept with the Latin verse, Tempus omnia sed memorias privat--time deprives all but memories.
← Previous Next →

Back to: Designing an uplifting end to NASA's space shuttle program

back to collectSPACE

© 1999-2010 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.
Questions? E-mail contact@collectspace.com