posted 02-05-2007 03:01 PM               

STS-120 mission patch

STS-120 is the 23rd shuttle mission to the International Space Station, and will launch an Italian-built U.S. multi-port module for the station.

Air Force Col. Pamela Melroy will command the STS-120 mission to take the Node 2 connecting module to the station. Melroy, a veteran shuttle pilot, is the second woman to command a shuttle. Marine Corps Col. George Zamka will serve as pilot. The flight's mission specialists will be Scott Parazynski, Army Col. Douglas Wheelock, Stephanie Wilson and Paolo Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut from Italy. Zamka, Wheelock and Nespoli will be making their first spaceflight.

Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson will return to Earth from the space station aboard STS-120. That flight will carry his replacement, Daniel Tani. Tani will return on mission STS-122.

posted 02-06-2007 02:37 PM               

The STS-120 crew, led by commander Pam Melroy, will wear a black, blue and gold mission patch that features their primary payload and that appears to draw from the Astronaut Office symbol for its design. The circular badge is ringed by the seven names of the crew, including an Italian flag next to European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli's name. The insignia displays a shuttle orbiter with the embedded outline of the Node 2 multi-port module. The constellation Orion appears to be rising over Earth's horizon, below the Moon and Mars. A sunburst balances the patch, opposite the planets. A stylized vector gold completes the insignia.

• The shuttle with its trailing lines and the gold vector does indeed represent the Astronaut Office symbol;

• The gold vector is in the shape of a '6' to represent the primary crew members of STS-120;

• The vector also indicates a path from the Earth to the ISS, which is represented by the large white star — the "sunburst" — soon to be "the brightest in the sky, brighter after we relocate P6," per Commander Melroy;

• The red and gold outlines on the white star indicate the crew's relocation of the P6;

• The background stars are the constellation Orion as a nod to the next generation crew vehicle.

posted 02-07-2007 04:30 PM               

quote:

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JSC2007-E-55043 (28 Nov. 2006) --- Astronaut George D. Zamka, pilot

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posted 03-24-2007 12:04 AM               

STS120-S-001 (February 2007) — The STS-120 patch reflects the role of the mission in the future of the space program. The shuttle payload bay carries Node 2, the doorway to the future international laboratory elements on the International Space Station. On the left the star represents the International Space Station; the red colored points represent the current location of the P6 solar array, furled and awaiting relocation when the crew arrives. During the mission, the crew will move P6 to its final home at the end of the port truss. The gold points represent the P6 solar array in its new location, unfurled and producing power for science and life support. On the right, the moon and Mars can be seen representing the future of NASA. The constellation Orion rises in the background, symbolizing NASA's new exploration vehicle. Through all, the shuttle rises up and away, leading the way to the future.

posted 07-14-2007 04:52 PM               

The STS-120 patch shows an blue area in the lower section (where the name TANI and the mission number STS-120 can be read). Having a look at the crew photo it looks to me that the embroidered patches worn by the astronauts show a purple lower area instead of the blue area.

posted 08-17-2007 09:26 AM               

The STS-120 embroidered emblem design has been approved and is now in production.

posted 10-24-2007 12:04 PM               

quote:

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The gold vector is in the shape of a '6' to represent the primary crew members of STS-120;

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