The space shuttle program is on its way out, but the core of people who built and maintained it will live on. To honor them, NASA gave its employees the chance to design the patch that will commemorate the shuttle program, which is slated to end in September, after STS-133 flies.

From the designs of 85 current and former employees, the Shuttle Program Office has selected 15 finalists. The prospective patches, presented here, will be voted on internally by NASA employees and judged by a small panel.

The program patch will help mark the end of the shuttle era. Begun rather enthusiastically in the late 1970s, the program almost didn't have mission patches, said Robert Pearlman, the space history and memorabilia enthusiast who brought the internal contest to the public eye.

"In 1976, the Space Shuttle program designed a patch, called the Space Shuttle Program logo, which was a single triangle, blue and white. It's very iconic," Pearlman said. "And the original idea was that since the space shuttle as of 1976 was going to fly so many times and so often — every couple weeks — you wouldn't want or need crew mission patches any longer. The idea was we'd do away with mission patches."

But astronauts and other mission members dissented. By then, the patches had become a popular tradition within NASA, even though they'd only been used for a little more than a decade. In the wake of NASA's 1965 decision not to allow astronauts to name their own vehicles, one astronaut decided that his Gemini V mission needed a patch.



"Gordon Cooper, looking for a way to keep a personal touch to the mission, borrowed something from the military, and created and fought for a patch," Pearlman said.

His design, prominently featuring a covered wagon, became the first of hundreds of NASA patches.

So, after some wrangling, NASA decided the shuttle missions could have their own patches after all. The first patch, for STS-1, was designed by Robert McCall, a well-known space artist, Pearlman said. Subsequent works have come together in a variety of ways. Some have been drawn by the astronauts themselves, others by hangers-on or friends. Together, they form an odd pictographic record of a program that has been at the center of the world's premiere space agency for more than 30 years. One of the 15 entries you see here will be the final installment in the series.

In the patch design at the top of this post, the sunrise/sunset represents the start and finish of the shuttle program, and the stars honor the astronauts who died on Challenger and Columbia. The artist wrote, "I picked the most dramatic angle of the Shuttle I could find to highlight the magnificence of the most complicated space vehicle in the world."

Captions are summaries of the artists' explanations. For full captions, go to CollectSpace.com.

Images: NASA.

On this patch, the shuttle lifts off from Kennedy Space Center. The external tank is white on one side as was done for the first two shuttle missions, and the other side is bare foam insulation. The International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope flank the shuttle, and the stars honor the astronauts who died on Challenger and Columbia.

The artist wrote, "The moon in the distance beckons mankind to destinations within and beyond our solar system that will be explored and inhabited in the future."

Image: NASA

All five space shuttles appear together on this patch, and 14 stars pay homage to the lost crew members of Challenger and Columbia. The artist wrote, "Above a rising sun, dawn of a new era for mankind exploration of space, and leaving behind their golden flight paths, each one of the shuttles is going into a different direction, leading the way for future voyages and generations of spacecrafts."

Image: NASA

The five shuttles on this patch radiate outward, pushing the boundaries of "Exploration, Engineering, Science, Transportation and Cooperation." The patch also features the Hubble telescope, a satellite, the SpaceLab, an astronaut in a space suite, and the International Space Station. The Department of Defense is represented by an eagle, two gold shuttles and 14 gold stars honor Challenger, Columbia and their crew members, and 134 white stars represent each shuttle mission.

The artist wrote, "The three vertical stripes comprised of the American flag leading to the silver star signify America's commitment to the continuation of future human endeavors in space."

Image: NASA

On this patch, the shuttle is surrounded by the International Space Station, the Manned Maneuvering Unit and the Hubble Telescope. Six small stars represent the shuttles (including Enterprise), and the two seven-pointed stars pay tribute to the astronauts who lost their lives on Columbia and Challenger.

The artist wrote, "The Moon and Mars are illustrated to represent the future direction of human space exploration, and the many science achievements the Space Shuttle program has contributed toward those goals."

Image: NASA

The shuttle, flanked by the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station, is shown flying above the U.S. locations responsible for designing, manufacturing and operating the shuttle, highlighted by stars on this patch. The stars in the sky represent the shuttles, with the smaller ones representing Columbia and Challenger whose light has faded. The sunset marks the end of the shuttle program.

The artist wrote, "As the heart of the Program, the Orbiter is boldly shown in orbit, at the ready for the next challenge."

Image: NASA

A setting sun represents the end of the shuttle era on this patch, and the Earth below symbolizes the thousands of people worldwide who have contributed to the program. The 14 stars in the background honor the fallen crew members of Columbia and Challenger. The red chevron in the shape of the constellation Andromeda represents aeronautics.

The artist wrote, "This echoes the red chevron in the NASA meatball logo and represents the space shuttle's innovation and achievement in aeronautics."

Image: NASA

The blue circle outlining this patch represents the shuttle's exploration of low-Earth orbit. The stripes on the panels on the right form the American flag and the five larger stars represent the shuttles. The smaller stars surrounding the shuttle honor the crew members who lost their lives on Columbia and Challenger.

The artist wrote, "As the Space Shuttle Program has been an innovative, iconic gem in the history of American spaceflight, the overall shape of the patch and its faceted panels are reminiscent of a diamond or other fine jewel."

Image: NASA

The American flag on this patch represents the shuttle's contribution to the U.S. space program. The 25 stars on the shuttle wing denote its Mach 25 re-entry velocity. The six rays emanating from the sun represent the six named shuttles (including Enterprise). The names Challenger and Columbia are set apart to memorialize the loss of those vehicles, as 14 stars surround the Earth to honor the crew members.

The artist wrote, "The trajectory around the Earth depicts the orbital phase of the Shuttle's mission, while the thin layer of atmosphere symbolizes the ascent and entry phases."

Image: NASA

The dates 1976 and 2010 on this patch were chosen because the first orbiter rolled out of the assembly plant on Sept. 17, 1976, and the last landing is scheduled to occur in September 2010. The inner border is made up of 135 stars representing every mission, and the stars representing the STS-51L and STS-107 missions are gold to reflect their loss. The International Space Station flies overhead.

The artist wrote, "The focus of the design is the orbiter coming home for a safe landing at the conclusion of it's final mission. The sun is setting on an extraordinary era while the constellation Orion rises in the sky – the next golden age of exploration? We hope so."

Image: NASA

The shuttle on this patch is surrounded by three smaller shuttles to represent launch, orbit and landing. The 50 states are marked by the smaller stars, and the 14 larger stars honor the astronauts who died on Challenger and Columbia. The artist wrote, "The background globe represents the participation and support by other nations."

Image: NASA

The red and white stripes and white star on this patch symbolize America's dedicated support for the shuttle program. The two bright stars in the background honor the astronauts who died aboard Challenger and Columbia, whose names are yellowed out on the border.

The artist wrote, "The actual shuttle is positioned right in the middle and tipping its wing to the world, as way to say thank you and farewell, just as a cowboy would wave goodbye into the sunset."

Image: NASA

The shape and colors of this patch recall the program's original emblem, and the "Space Shuttle" text is identical. The shuttle's empty payload bay symbolizes the completion of the program. The International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope represent past and future exploration and science accomplishments. Fourteen stars acknowledge the sacrifice of the fallen astronauts of Challenger and Columbia.

The artist wrote, "The emblem is draped in red and white stripes to acknowledge the commitment and resolve of the United States to accomplish the impossible despite many adversities."

Image: NASA

This patch prominently displays America's red, white and blue behind a launching shuttle. The stars between the names of the shuttles represent the Challenger astronauts who lost their lives, and the seven clustered stars on the right honor the fallen Columbia astronauts. The artist wrote, "My logo depicts on the left side our flying shuttles, on the right Columbia and Challenger that were tragically lost."

Image: NASA

This patch is shaped to reflect the original program's patch. Where the original patch showed the shuttle launching toward the top of the triangle, this patch has the shuttle coming in for its last landing. The 14 white stars serve as a reminder of the astronauts who lost their lives on Challenger and Columbia.

The artist wrote, "The lone gold star at the top of symbolized the excellence achieved by the STS system, its people and the technology developed during this time. It reminds us to strive for that same kind of excellence in the future of technology development as well as space exploration."

Image: NASA

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