posted 11-29-2007 07:43 PM               

It all began a few days after we first reported that Discovery would launch Lucasfilm's prop lightsaber in celebration of Star Wars' 30th anniversary. The response to that article drew the largest one-day audience collectSPACE has seen in the past eight years. As such, you could say I had Star Wars 'on the brain' for the following days.

Talking about it with a few friends and cS readers, the idea came about that the official STS-120 patch lent itself nicely to inheriting some Star Wars influences. Working with the original insignia designed by astronaut Michael Foreman and refined by artist Marc Jacobs, I started altering some of its elements, with the most obvious change being made to the orbiter's cargo: instead of the Harmony module, the lightsaber filled the payload bay. Other changes to the insignia's design included:

• substituting a TIE fighter for the starburst representing the ISS, which was inspired by previous crews' observations that the symmetric station took on the appearance of the Imperial spacecraft;
  
• amending the Moon... wait, that's no Moon. It's a space station! to be the Death Star;
  
• altering the text that read "STS-120" to "SW-30" for Star Wars' 30th year.

The parody patch would have ended there, as a modified graphic, were it not for the suggestion to see what it might take to have a few patches produced as a gag gift for the crew.

A few calls later, and not only had AB Emblem agreed to partner on the project, but they would also insure that other than the altered icons, the patches would be identical to the ones they had produced for the crew to wear.

AB provided 30 patches, one for each year since Star Wars' original release, and they were shipped just in time for our pre-flight interviews with the STS-120 astronauts. Each were given two patches, which were received with laughter and positive reviews.

Other patches were presented to NASA flight personnel, those cS members who were part of the initial idea, and to Lucasfilm.

Until today, outside of those privy or had been given one, the patches were private.

On Thursday, November 29, the patch went on public display with the flown lightsaber at Space Center Houston as part of a Star Wars exhibit that will be open through January 7, 2008. (A small card describing the history of the patch will be added to the display case soon.)

All 30 patches have either been distributed or reserved, and no more will be produced, per our agreement with AB and Lucasfilm.

posted 11-30-2007 10:08 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by NavySpaceFan:
Did Mr. Lucas receive one of those 30 patches, if so, what did he say?

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posted 11-30-2007 11:01 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by 1202 Alarm:
Isn't the TIE-fighter a spacecraft from the dark side of the Force?

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