Author
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Topic: Mission Operations Directorate emblem
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 51113 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-20-2005 12:20 AM
Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) emblem The following was sent from the Missions Operations Directorate (MOD) to the Astronaut Office on March 15, 2005. Attached was this revision to the MOD emblem originally designed by Robert McCall. Much has been made in the days following the tragedy of February 1, 2003, of the role that "culture" played in the events leading up to that day. Here now, two years on, we have all had time to reflect on our own personal involvement, whether as an individual, member of a discipline team, a directorate, or an agency. Sadly, we were not the first to face such self scrutiny. Gene Kranz recalled the response of a previous generation to a similar tragedy: So this was sort of the news of the day, and it then came time for me to speak. I tend to be maybe one of the more emotional of the controllers. I believed that that's part of a leader's responsibility, to get his people pumped up, and I gave what my controllers came to know as the "tough and competent" speech, and concluded the talk identifying that the problem throughout all of our preparation for Apollo 1 was the fact that we were not tough enough; we were avoiding our responsibilities, we had not assumed the accountability we should have for what was going on during that day's test. We had the opportunity to call it all off, to say, "This isn't right. Let's shut it down," and none of us did. So basically the toughness was from that day forward we would stand for doing everything right, literally being perfect and competent. We had become very complacent about working in a pure oxygen environment. We all knew this was dangerous. Many of us who flew aircraft knew it was extremely dangerous, but we had sort of stopped learning. We had just really taken it for granted that this was the environment, and since we had flown the Mercury and Gemini program at this 100 percent oxygen environment, everything was okay. And it wasn't. And we had let the crew literally paper the inside of the spacecraft with Velcro... I had each member of the control team on the blackboards in their offices write "tough and competent" at the top of that blackboard, and that could never be erased until we had gotten a man on the Moon. I believe that set the framework for our work in the weeks and months that followed. It's amazing how NASA took charge of itself in those days. At the conclusion of the last Apollo flight, Gene asked artist Bob McCall to fashion an emblem commemorating the spirit of tireless vigilance that defined 'Mission Control' in that era. As he later described it... 'We fought and won the race in space and listened to the cries of the Apollo 1 crew. With great resolve and personal anger, we picked up the pieces, pounded them together, and went on the attack again. We were the ones in the trenches of space and with only the tools of leadership, trust, and teamwork, we contained the risks and made the conquest of space possible.' The entire MOD team wants the Space Shuttle and Space Station Program families to know that we still aspire to the same ideal today. The unique challenge of the Space Shuttle and ISS programs has been in the long timescales through which we must maintain that vigilance. To embrace that commitment and keep it strong, we have adopted 'vigilance' as a key fundamental quality essential to our professional excellence. Our 'vigilance' will be focused always on remaining attentive to the dangers of spaceflight, while never accepting success as a substitute for rigor in everything we do. It is joined by the other virtues that we aspire to in our work — Discipline, Competence, Confidence, Responsibility, Toughness, and Teamwork — virtues drawn from our flight control heritage. While the blackboards are long gone, in their place we have incorporated a living memorial into the MOD emblem as a constant reminder of the 17 who have given their lives to the pursuit of the frontier. Seventeen stars now grace the background of space on the patch to help keep in the forefront of our minds the risks we are managing daily. It is our solemn pledge to each of you that we are committed to the safety and success of our human spaceflight programs as we return the Space Shuttle to flight status and complete assembly of the International Space Station. That commitment will not wane with the passage of time and achievement. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 51113 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-15-2012 06:56 PM
With the space shuttle program over and the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) looking toward the future, the MOD emblem has been revised: |
Ronpur Member Posts: 1260 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
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posted 08-16-2012 09:55 PM
Nice!! I want the original one as well! |
p51 Member Posts: 1783 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 08-16-2012 10:51 PM
Great! Hope they have patches made up for this the next time I'm at JSC next month... |
Gonzo Member Posts: 599 From: Holland, MI, USA Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 08-17-2012 05:27 AM
Patches! We need patches! (And I'm STILL looking for the original Apollo version!) |
Apollo 8 Member Posts: 176 From: Vienna, Austria Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-17-2012 05:46 AM
Originals of the original Apollo version are very hard to find, but SpaceBoosters made a nice replica. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member Posts: 3466 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 08-17-2012 07:03 AM
Geek alert: I can see how the arrowhead evolving into the Enterprise's arrowhead of the 23rd century, later to become the Starfleet symbol... as well as the basis for the triangular-shaped emblems present in the 24th century.
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 51113 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-17-2012 06:04 PM
Mike Okuda, who was the artist behind the 2005 revision and now this latest version as well, explains that the vector is from the Flight Directors' emblem, and it is intended to represent the fact that NASA will be flying a variety of spacecraft in the coming years. |
Gonzo Member Posts: 599 From: Holland, MI, USA Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 08-21-2012 09:46 AM
I have a question about this emblem. At the start of the thread, it's noted that: The following was sent from the Missions Operations Directorate (MOD) to the Astronaut Office on March 15, 2005. Attached was this revision to the MOD emblem originally designed by Robert McCall. I checked my version of that patch to find that I purchased it on Feb 2, 1990 — a clear five years prior to this announcement. So my next step was to compare the one pictured from 2005 to my actual patch. There are a couple of differences. My patch lacks all of the program emblems at the bottom. It has just Mercury, Gemini and Apollo along with four stars, just like the original version. However, it does have the shuttle launching up the center. There are also three plumes coming from the shuttle, not one as the new version depicts. It also lacks the stars in the lower part of the plume. My patch also lacks the ISS in the lower right. Instead, it has what appears to be a mapping/earth scanning satellite on the orbit instead. Mine also has the earth/sun at the top and the sun has the flares like the original. The one from 2005 has the moon and Mars. Everything else appears to be the same with the comet in the upper right and "Mission Operations" across the center. I guess my point in all of this is that from the patch that I have, there were more versions of this emblem (and in patch form) than what is listed in this thread. Any thoughts on the subject? |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 51113 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-21-2012 10:07 AM
The first version to replace the "Mission Control" banner with "Mission Operations" did replace the Saturn V with the space shuttle but left the other elements the same. It was used between 1983 and 2004, and was produced by AB Emblem as a patch. |
p51 Member Posts: 1783 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 09-12-2012 06:53 PM
I was at the Payload Operations Center at Marshall Space Flight Center recently and saw a live feed from the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center and the logo they were using still had the shuttle on it. I was surprised to see even Houston hasn't converted over yet... |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 51113 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-08-2012 09:02 AM
AB Emblem is now producing the revised MOD emblem: As the official contractor to NASA for embroidered emblems since 1970, we are pleased to announce we will soon have available the new Mission Operations emblem. This is our design number 200710. |
vanerie Member Posts: 86 From: Outer Banks, North Carolina Registered: Sep 2016
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posted 12-27-2017 09:40 AM
Has anyone ever seen the ISS version of the Mission Control emblem in patch form? |
astrorero Member Posts: 54 From: San Dimas, CA USA Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 01-26-2018 03:04 PM
Has anyone ever seen the above Mission Operations patch 200710 in lapel pin form? If so, where can I purchase one? |
jutrased Member Posts: 66 From: North Smithfield, RI USA Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 01-26-2018 04:46 PM
I was at Space Center Houston in November and was able to pick this one up with the ISS at the SpaceTrader Gift Shop. |
astrorero Member Posts: 54 From: San Dimas, CA USA Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 01-27-2018 03:52 PM
Thanks, but I was talking about 2012 revision, as pictured in patch form above. |
Paul J. Brennan Member Posts: 265 From: Linden, CA Registered: May 2019
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posted 08-01-2019 02:30 AM
AB Emblem will be producing the 1973 version again. I'm assuming we'll see the patch become available again sometime in the next two weeks, with the sold out sign being replaced by an add to cart option. I know folks have been frustrated by some of the changes at AB Emblem in recent years, but in my short time of collecting I have found them to be very responsive. |
vanerie Member Posts: 86 From: Outer Banks, North Carolina Registered: Sep 2016
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posted 08-14-2019 09:02 AM
The 1973 version is up for sale on their site. |
Go4Launch Member Posts: 562 From: Seminole, Fla. Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 08-14-2019 04:02 PM
For comparison, here is what I believe to be an original 1973 patch. |
Paul J. Brennan Member Posts: 265 From: Linden, CA Registered: May 2019
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posted 08-16-2019 10:43 AM
The original version definitely beats the newer version in terms of looks. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 51113 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-19-2023 10:25 AM
A-B Emblem now has the 2004 version (design no. 458401) of the Mission Operations patch available, adding to the 1973 and 1983 Mission Control designs, the 1988 and 2012 Mission Operations emblems and the 2014 Flight Operations. |
Kevin T. Randall Member Posts: 1539 From: Chesham, Bucks UK Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 09-26-2023 01:11 PM
The full details that are found on the embedded labels for the AB Emblem 2004 Mission Operations patch (shown above) are as follows;- 458401 A-B Emblem Made In China 08/23 40
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