Posts: 1355
From: Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-20-2006 06:59 PM               

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Was Tracy Caldwell scheduled to be on the STS-121 mission then removed for Reiter? Someone on eBay is selling STS-121 patches with her name on it where Reiter's name is now.

Two of photos on Kennedy Space Center's media archive have her as part of the crew. The few astronauts portraits available where the crew members are wearing this mission patch do not have her name. The area where Reiter's name is now is blank on their emblem.

Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000

posted 05-20-2006 07:49 PM               

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Caldwell was never officially on the crew, but she did train with them for a little while as a possibility should Reiter not be onboard.

That patch was made by Randy Hunt (ebay seller ID "4gator"). He likely heard she was training with them and made this souvenir.

Posts: 1355
From: Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-20-2006 09:34 PM               

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Spacepatches.info has the patch with Caldwell's name listed on their site.

So, I think this really isn't a collectible and NASA never officially issued one with her name on it?

Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000

posted 05-20-2006 09:45 PM               

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This patch in particular is unofficial.

I have never seen any crewmember wearing such a patch, only the one with a blank bottom and the official one with Reiter.

But the ones I have seen so far with a blank bottom on eBay are unnofficial replicas, and not AB emblem.