Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Hardware & Flown Items
  Shuttle mission press badge: unique feature

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Shuttle mission press badge: unique feature
Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-13-2012 05:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In going over hundreds of my accumulated shuttle news media badges, mostly from my own collection of used badges, passes, and permits, I came across one badge that had an unique feature to it.

Does anyone out there know what special graphic design feature I am referring to? It was designed as part of a NASA-issued shuttle mission press badge never to be used again.

Good luck!

Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member

Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 05-13-2012 06:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I seem to recall an ALT press release or press kit that had the Apollo 17 logo (the central design of the emblem, Apollo looking forward.) Was that it?

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-13-2012 07:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
No, Hart, but let me clarify that perhaps I shouldn't use the term "special." It was a photo-related feature (a big hint there) that was only used on one NASA-issued shuttle news media or press mission badge. But nice try, though, with ALT.

Joel Katzowitz
Member

Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-13-2012 07:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Joel Katzowitz   Click Here to Email Joel Katzowitz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I doubt this is what you're referring to Ken, but my STS-107 media badge has my photo on it. It also, strangely, doesn't identify the mission by number.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-13-2012 07:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Joel, yes, indeed, yours is certainly unique, but I was mostly referring to the majority of accredited NASA-issued shuttle mission badges. Why not email me a scan of yours (or post it here) as it appears NASA didn't use their standard STS-107 badge format in your case. I bet you had arrived after the 107 launch, if so, it would help explain the situation.

Joel Katzowitz
Member

Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-13-2012 07:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Joel Katzowitz   Click Here to Email Joel Katzowitz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ken, I'll shoot you a scan in a few minutes. The badge was issued to me on Jan. 15, 2003, the day before the launch. It was issued at the main gate badging station as opposed to route 3. Then the media was bussed to the press site.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-13-2012 08:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Joel, Just emailed you and thanks for the scan. As explained in the email, your badge was a standard KSC-NASA "machine picture" badge that are issued on a daily basis at the main badging station here at Kennedy for a variety of purposes. It was never meant to replace NASA-issued press badges for STS-107, or as a matter of fact, for any other shuttle mission coverages by the news media.

413 is in
Member

Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006

posted 05-13-2012 11:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for 413 is in   Click Here to Email 413 is in     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
STS-9 was unique in that it had a special Spacelab 1 (ESA/NASA) graphic logo on it but that is probably not what you are referring to.

Jay Chladek
Member

Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007

posted 05-14-2012 02:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jay Chladek   Click Here to Email Jay Chladek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Without more clues as to which mission you are referring to, it is hard to say when looking at badges for 135 shuttle missions. Checking my four badges (121, 131, 135, plus Ares 1-X) I don't see much unique about them as the shuttle ones are all white with red letters for the mission (foreign media got green ones). 131 and 135 have the mission logo.

The only unique one of the lot in my stash is the Ares 1-X badge, which came with the Ares 1-X lanyard (and it was light yellow in color.

After 1-X, I used that lanyard for 131 and 135 as did a few other members of the press who covered that mission and shuttle flights after since it was such a cool lanyard. I still use the lanyard periodically for badges at shows. But, Ares 1-X wasn't a shuttle flight.

garymilgrom
Member

Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 05-14-2012 05:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ken, if someone had access to all 135 badges would the special feature jump out at them?

Which leads to — is there a web page with these images?

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-14-2012 06:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Gary, I would surely think so as it did for me in viewing all of my own shuttle badges that I have worn throughout the last 30 years of shuttle flights.

It's the only badge of all flown 135 missions that has something on it no other press badge issued by NASA has. That's why when I came across it, Gary, it was noticed right away that I had forgotten about beforehand.

Is there a website or page with all the shuttle badge images? A good question, however, I can't answer it.

Besides Jay Barbree and myself, I don't know of anyone else that was able to assemble a complete collection of NASA-issued shuttle mission badges. I'm not even sure if Jay has all of his issued shuttle badges. I have all of mine, however, I am missing a few here and there that I am trying to re-locate.

No big deal, but just lots of fun, with shuttle badge trivia, huh?

Here is another hint or two; Don't look back too far. It was a Discovery flight.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-14-2012 08:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Here is another hint or two; Don't look back too far. It was a Discovery flight.
Okay, I'll take a stab at this...

Discovery's STS-114 mission press badge included (in miniature) the crew portrait.

It also was the first shuttle mission press badge (I believe) to be on hard plastic, which was then replaced again with laminated paper for the remainder of the program.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-14-2012 12:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Robert, Bingo! You are correct as NASA's mission badge for STS-114 "Return to Flight" after the STS-107/Columbia tragedy was the only press badge to feature a crew picture on it. Yes, I think it was also the first badge that was computer printed on a hard plastic. Very good, Robert!

How about another? This is an easy one, I would think.

What was the first NASA-issued press badge for a shuttle mission (usually with media coverages from launch to landing) that had on it the printed crew or mission flight insignia or patch design?

But I am not referring to the shuttle program triangular patch or emblem design, but an actual crew inisgnia the designated badge was being used for.

Jay Chladek
Member

Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007

posted 05-14-2012 01:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jay Chladek   Click Here to Email Jay Chladek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, the STS-131 pass has that and my 121 pass does not. So I would say sometime between those two missions it was implemented (or it was done before and went away for a bit before coming back).

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-14-2012 02:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Jay, Good questions, but it was implemented long before (hint) STS-121 flew.

J.L
Member

Posts: 674
From: Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Registered: May 2005

posted 05-15-2012 10:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for J.L   Click Here to Email J.L     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Does anyone out there know what special graphic design feature I am referring to?
Ken, I am going to nominate three badges that might qualify. STS-1 (color program logo with multi-color printing), STS-9 (had color Spacelab emblem) and STS-26 (had color mission emblem). From what I can see, most of the others were pretty basic with the program emblem printed in black on them. Have I narrowed it down any?

On edit: Well... never mind... I see this has been solved!

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-15-2012 12:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, J.L., you got it! On the back or reverse side of the gold-colored STS-1 NASA-issued press badge was a small depiction of the crew insignia. But it wasn't in color, but a black and white printing of the actual mission emblem.

Very good, J.L., as there were a couple of folks emailing me that didn't notice the back-side of the STS-1 news media badge. Now for a prize award!

Let me briefly mention that I have just located another type of press badge, also NASA-issued, for STS-114/Discovery's return to flight in 2005. Apparently, as I didn't recall earlier, NASA had issued two types of media badges for STS-114?

Should we end this topic with badge trivia? Are there any other takers for perhaps a few more questions?

Tom
Member

Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-15-2012 04:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tom   Click Here to Email Tom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Fire away, Ken.

Cozmosis22
Member

Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 05-17-2019 09:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cozmosis22     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Along with the previously mentioned badges which had the actual mission emblems printed, STS-9 and STS-26, here is another. The John Glenn flight on STS-95 back in 1998.

Ken, please feel free to restart this thread if you want?

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement