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Author
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Topic: STS-61E/Columbia cancelled mission patch
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Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 404
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 10-25-2002 12:51 AM
   
I've seen both "official" and souvenir images of the STS-61E mission patch on a variety of great websites and I'm wondering: is the "official" patch an AB Emblems creation? Was this actually released to the public? Or was it an evaluation version that never saw widespread manufacture?  |
Jacques van Oene
Member Posts: 889
From: Houten, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 10-25-2002 05:29 AM
As far as I know only 50 or so real 61E patches were made. I do not know if these were evaluation versions, or already the final version. I tried to get in contact with crewmembers of 61E about the patch but had no success, so if anybody could help, please do, thank you. |
Ben
Member Posts: 1926
From: United States
Registered: May 2000
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posted 08-22-2007 01:57 PM
I received this replica 61-E patch today. While it is not an original, it is unlike any of the replicas I have seen to date. Does anyone have an idea of who may have made the patch? 
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lunarrv15
Member Posts: 1358
From: Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 08-25-2007 12:53 PM
I have the same patch and the decal of the same design. I question the patch is a "replica" for the reason the decal, like is said have, is same style.The decal came from a past penpal whose grandmother worked in the (what was then Lewis Research Center) gift shop. So the decal came from NASA "and has the same design" why the isn't the patch viewed as authentic original? The past ownership of CargoBay Emblem was selling some of them of that design. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 51611
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-25-2007 02:32 PM
The design — as in the artwork — is not what Ben is labeling a "replica" but rather the patch itself. The original patch was made from two pieces sewn together, as can be seen on spacepatches.info.This replica is all one piece and the stitching style is different from the original. The small thread lines you see connecting the letters is typical of the cheaper construction you see in souvenir patches. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1725
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 08-25-2007 04:02 PM
Also, didn't the "real" patch use lower case letters for the crew members names, whereas the souvenirs used all upper case letters? |
keith.wilson
Member Posts: 95
From: Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 08-25-2007 04:44 PM
I may be mistaken but I believe that the original emblem design has the crew names in lowercase, but the 'official' patches as worn by the crew had their names in uppercase. Can anyone confirm this? |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 404
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 08-26-2007 01:31 PM
That's correct. I was lucky enough to find a original on eBay a few months back. The patch is all uppercase, while the original design has lowercase. You can see the original patch and the original artwork at spacepatches.info.There are also multiple souvenir versions. Some of them were presumably made at the time the flight was to have happened, and some later. One of them is pictured in this thread, and two more are on spacepatches.info. I have a fourth version as well that attempts to more accurately replicate the actual evaluation patch, including the curvature of the rocker tab and an embroidered silver edge. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1725
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 08-26-2007 02:42 PM
quote:
Originally posted by keith.wilson:
...but the 'official' patches as worn by the crew had their names in uppercase.
I was able to zoom in on the 61E flight crew photo and the crew names on that patch seem to be lowercase. |
keith.wilson
Member Posts: 95
From: Isle of Gigha, Argyll, Scotland
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 08-26-2007 03:07 PM
That's an interesting observation. Are they wearing embroidered patches or are they just using decals (based on the original art) for the crew photo? Can anyone explain why we have this discrepancy between the original emblem art and what are believed to be the 'official' patches? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 51611
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-26-2007 03:20 PM
The crew wore decals/prints of the artwork (notice the light being reflected off them) for their portrait. The official crew evaluation patches had all uppercase letters, the official artwork did not. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1725
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 08-26-2007 05:19 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only shuttle crew patches to use lowercase lettering for the crew names were both McBride's: STS-41G and 61E. |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 404
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 08-26-2007 10:41 PM
That spacefacts.de pic of McBride looks like the authentic patch. It's got the same wider arc on the sew-on tab that the original does. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 51611
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-26-2007 10:54 PM
This publicity still from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex shows McBride wearing an STS-61E patch: |
Liembo
Member Posts: 851
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 04-17-2013 04:35 PM
I picked up this version on eBay a month ago. It has a bare cloth back and a taped tail: 
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spaced out
Member Posts: 3208
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 04-18-2013 02:51 AM
That's the most commonly seen replica version of this patch. I'm going to updating that page of my site soon to add the Randy Hunt version and the version shown towards the top of this thread. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 104
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 04-18-2013 06:23 PM
Does anyone know who made the lower-case replica? That is the closest to the official NASA artwork and I tend to prefer those. |
Gonzo
Member Posts: 599
From: Holland, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 05-13-2013 05:57 PM
I don't know who made it, my records don't show. They only show I got it in March, 1991 from Eagle 1 Aerospace. But the single 61-E that I have is the lowercase version. It is all one piece (not tabbed). It has a bare-cloth back with only a very small tail behind the corner of the tab by Parker/Richards. If I had to guess, I'd say AB was the maker looking at the stitching, but that's a guess and could easily be wrong. |
embangloy
Member Posts: 76
From: Nashville, TN, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 05-14-2013 11:38 AM
I have a one piece STS-61E patch that I personally purchased from Mr. Harry Bernard at his shop in Lompoc, CA in 2003. I saw one displayed on his wall and asked if he had another for sale. A few moments later, he came out with the patch. The patch is identical to the decal; upper and lower case lettering, and the colors are stellar. Mr. Bernard told me that his shop was commissioned to make approximately 2000 patches to distribute to NASA gift shops. A very nice man; Mr. Bernard was very genuine and very thorough with his history and production. My STS-61E patch may not be the coveted two-piece patch that most collectors yearn for, but the personal interaction with Mr. Bernard makes receiving this patch unique and "official" in my collector mind. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 104
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 05-20-2013 09:01 AM
I wonder if the lowercase type of replica is more plentiful than the upper-case. I have seen maybe three or four different types pictured here, mostly the one-piece ones without the excess curvature on the "tabbed" part.Not even many replicas of this thing show up out there. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3469
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 09-27-2015 11:59 PM
At his Fireball Run stop I noticed the STS-61E patch Jon McBride was wearing on his flight suit did not have the gap between the main body and the apron (tab). The only conclusion I can come up with is that there were two batches of 61E patches — pre-production samples, perhaps just enough for the crew, and an initial run.  |
Liembo
Member Posts: 851
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 10-02-2015 01:00 PM
I am inclined to agree that the patch Jon McBride is wearing is a distinct variation. The odd placement of the usual STS-61E patch apron almost feels like they simply mounted the tab too low, however, the outer diameter of the apron compared to the outer diameter of the main body of the patch indicate that it was intended to distend like it does. The bars on the apron are also notably shorter.Traditionally the outside diameter of the tab, if extended 360 degrees, would create an even circle around the body of the patch. the STS-61E does not. Given that, you can't simply detach the tab and resew it for a better fit. The odd extended tab was intentional. So the question remains, what is the origin of the patch he's wearing? Here's a simulated STS-61E with the apron moved up:  Here's what the outer diameters look like:  This example behavior in line with the tab in the one he's wearing:  Are there additional photos McBride from this or other Fireball Run stops? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 51611
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-02-2015 01:56 PM
I have been posting the best of the Fireball Run's photos of the astronauts to our topic about the race (for the full collection, see their Facebook photo stream). |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3469
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 10-03-2015 01:56 AM
The photos I took at Queen Anne's County all show him with the same flight suit, no flight jacket. I too am curious, as I don't recall McBride wearing a flight suit with the 61E patch on his top right side and his 41G patch on his right shoulder from before this event.Granted, there's no uniform (no pun intended) guide for placement of patches, but it seems as if he dug out his uniform from the time of 61E for this event. (I say this because it seems that the top right side is where astronauts usually place their patches for upcoming missions they've been assigned to.) Or maybe the flight suit dates from 1988 when that crew was still assigned, intact, to that mission? |
hoorenz
Member Posts: 1041
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 10-03-2015 08:20 AM
There is indeed a second AB Emblem type.I always wondered if they did not simply make a mistake with the diameter of the first apron and corrected it...  |
Liembo
Member Posts: 851
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 12-28-2015 03:12 PM
I had an opportunity to ask Mr. McBride about the patches, he had this to say about them: We only did 200 of the 61E patches and there were 2-3 slightly different versions during early development. I guess I had two of them and hadn't noticed, myself, the difference on the two suits! The two suits he mentions are the ones he wore for Fireball Run. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 910
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 12-28-2015 05:17 PM
Always has been one of my favorite shuttle patches. It made a good decal and pin too. One day I will have a real one. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3469
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 05-20-2016 11:09 AM
Of course I can't find it now, but I saw a Durrance official photo of him with the 61E patch — and said patch didn't have the distended apron (tab). Don't think it was the decal version, and if it wasn't, can't believe it took this long to realize the version with the distended apron was wrong after all... |
Liembo
Member Posts: 851
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 05-20-2016 11:29 AM
See my previous comment from 12-28-2015 about the two versions he is seen to wear and what he had to say about it. I don't know if "wrong" is the right word to describe prototypes. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 1567
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 10-20-2023 09:34 AM
AB Emblem have just released the best effort and most accurate reproduction of this cancelled 1986 mission the STS-61E patch. The details on the two embedded labels are as follows;- 454429-A / 454429-B (on tab) Made In China 04/23 01
There are two old style all white labels on both the main body and the sewn-on tab on these patches. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 1567
From: Chesham, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 10-20-2023 03:42 PM
Here are two STS-61E patches. The top patch in the two photo scans is the original patch from which AB Emblem have just made this new reproduction from. I know this because I used to own that patch until I sold it to David T. Pinson, who worked with the AB Emblem design team to produce this new reproduction.The bottom patch is another recent two piece reproduction.  
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Liembo
Member Posts: 851
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 10-23-2023 02:51 AM
I did the bottom reproduction a number of years ago. The major flaw with my replica is that the names should have been in white thread. I didn't have an original on hand and the photos I used as a reference the color was indistinguishable from silver. |
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