posted 11-08-2013 08:48 AM               

ISS Expedition 37.5 insignia

To support flying the 2014 Sochi Olympics torch to the International Space Station, the launch of Soyuz TMA-11M was advanced to occur before the departure of Soyuz TMA-09M, leading to Expedition 37 briefly increasing to include nine crewmembers. This ISS "Expedition 37.5" crew will end with the start of Expedition 38 after only five days.

To recognize this event and celebrate the orbital Olympic torch relay, artist Blake Dumesnil worked with Expedition 38 flight engineers Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio to design an "official unofficial" patch.

"It is not an official mission, but more of an acknowledgement of a unique handover between crews," Dumesnil described on Facebook. "The crew requested this for a couple of reasons: to acknowledge all nine crew members that will be aboard the ISS for the next week and the milestone leg of the 2014 Winter Olympic Torch Relay."