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Author
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Topic: Contractor and crew shuttle mission pins
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CMikeW
Member Posts: 89
From: United States
Registered: Apr 2013
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posted 06-29-2014 08:31 PM
  
I recently purchased a couple of hands full of space shuttle mission emblem pins. Some have no marking on the reverse, some say Rockwell International, some have NASA, some Rockwell/NASA and some have Boeing on them. Are any of the markings scarce or are they all about as common? I haven't found any mission with different back markings so far, but I'm still going through the batch. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46681
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-29-2014 09:23 PM
The pins marked with contractor names were primarily only available to those who worked for that contractor, whereas the NASA (or blank) pins were both available to the agency and sold to the public. |
Joel Katzowitz
Member Posts: 838
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 06-30-2014 07:33 AM
Along a similar line, I have a number of shuttle pins with a "launch team" tab on them. I purchased the pins individually from a former NASA employee/volunteer whenever I attended a launch.I always assumed they were not available to the general public but I don't really know. Doesn't anyone know the story, value, number produced, etc.? |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3273
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 07-01-2014 10:22 AM
Never before during the space shuttle program has any of the special space shuttle flight crew pins been made available publicly while outside of the astronauts themselves.Starting with STS-38 in 1990, Tom Foley of Cape Kennedy Medals/Mint (CKM), a long-time space souvenir company owner, produced a very limited number of shuttle mission "Flight Crew" pins. Actually, some pins go back to STS-31 and STS-35, however, they were only produced in extreme limited numbers on an "experiment basis," so to speak. In the earlier years of the 1990s, Foley produced anywhere between 100 to 150 of the special emblem pins exclusively for the shuttle astronaut crew, their families, and very close friends. The quantities continued all throughout the rest of the shuttle program era (sometimes 200 in number for a single flight) until the final shuttle mission (STS-135) in 2011. Altogether, during 21 years, there were 101 shuttle flights in which the flight crew emblem pins were made for the flight crews. While in quarantine at NASA's Kennedy Space Center crew quarters before their launch into space, arrangements were made for the astronaut crew to have an opportunity to acquire the special flight crew pins for their upcoming shuttle flight. Within a week or so before their scheduled launch into orbit, the specially-designed pins were delivered to crew quarters for distribution to each flight crew member, and in some cases, ordered pins were picked up in Cocoa Beach by a representative of the astronaut flight crew support office. Besides manufacturing the limited shuttle flight crew pins, Foley's CKM was mainly a commercial space souvenir company that produced patches, medallions, commemorative glasses, T-shirts, and other space-related souvenirs and memorabilia from 1968 until 2013. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46681
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-01-2014 10:30 AM
In addition to the more limited "Flight Crew" pins, Foley also produced "Launch Team" and "Flight Team" pins that were offered for public sale, the latter through retail distribution toward the end of the program.Early in the space shuttle program, "Launch Team" pins were bronze, half-inch tie tacks that more closely matched the style of the Apollo-era launch team pins. Foley's later "Launch Team" and "Flight Team" pins generally amended a full color mission patch pin with the inscribed tab. |
CMikeW
Member Posts: 89
From: United States
Registered: Apr 2013
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posted 07-10-2014 07:06 PM
Thanks for the info regarding contractor stamping on the shuttle pins.Spent a while going through these pins. Probably about a thousand pins in all. Early pins had nothing on the back, later they have "NASA OFFICIAL." Then they have NASA and Rockwell International, both on the same pin. Then just Rockwell International and later on USA. Pins without stamping on the back are from both Taiwan, these have a grid pattern cast in and China, these have a "pebbly" pattern cast in. The Taiwan and China pins were in original packaging showing country of origin. The pins were from an estate of a person who worked at Johnson Space Center. |
Liembo
Member Posts: 732
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 07-06-2021 06:19 PM
I have seen a lot of crew insignia pins with "Flight Team" or "Launch Team" aprons added, but this is the first "Family Member" one I've seen. Is this a common thing for missions? |
Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 35
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 07-09-2021 09:36 PM
I need to check my collection of these, but I've seen these Family or Family and Friends version for maybe 10 or so missions in the later years. I'm not sure how they were actually distributed, but almost certainly a Cape Kennedy Medals item. |
J Blackburn
Member Posts: 230
From: Virginia USA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 07-13-2021 01:32 PM
These pins were produced by Tom Foley, owner of Cape Kennedy Medals and later Space World USA before Tom closed the doors and passed away. Tom also produced the Fight Crew and Launch Team pins. The three types of pins were given out to the respective members of each category. As far as the number produced it is uncertain however I was told by his daughter he was required to produced and purchase a minimum number as with most production items. Most sold today are from the leftover back stock from Tom. I was fortunate and honored to acquire most in each category. I do know a couple others purchased in bulk from the new "old stock" items from the store's back stock. |
Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 35
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 07-23-2021 07:18 PM
I'm not sure how comprehensive this list is, but I've been trying to actively collect the Friends and Family type pins (I forgot to confirm which only say "Family" but most seem to reference both) over the past five years and these are the ones I have: - STS-105
- STS-107
- STS-110
- STS-111
- STS-112
- STS-114
- STS-118
- STS-120
I'd be curious to know whether all missions within this time period actually had the Friends/Family aprons, and if there were any later than 120.The "Launch Team" pin versions from Tom Foley seem pretty comprehensive from around STS-38 till STS-135. Similarly the "Flight Crew." But "Flight Team" versions seem much more scattered across missions. I think I've only seen them for 10 to 15 missions. |
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