posted 12-23-2009 07:10 AM            

My favourite is number 74 - simple but effective - Shuttle's soaring in space on golden plumes - remembering the crews of Challenger and Columbia - naming the orbiters - and the beginning/end dates ...fantastic!

One possible change on this one would be to have the orbiter icon which flies the final mission to be at top center... perhaps highlighted in some way... with the orbiter's name at the top of the patch.

My second choice would be the 'very different' number 67 - very clever design!

I personally don't think that payloads should be included on the final design. ISS and HST feature on many of the designs - these are high profile missions but the Shuttle has had so many payloads since 1981 why should these ones be featured? Interestingly Shuttle-Mir flights were not prominent in designs.

posted 01-04-2010 05:17 PM               

NASA selects 15 finalists for end-of-shuttle patch contest

NASA revealed Monday the 15 patch designs that will compete to become the agency's official commemorative emblem for the end of its space shuttle program later this year.

"The emotion that has been put in to the designs shows tremendous commitment and loyalty to the space shuttle program," wrote Debbie Byerly, who led the patch contest as technical assistant to shuttle program manager John Shannon, in an e-mail to all 85 past and present NASA and contractor employees who entered. "The judges found it extremely difficult to narrow down the submissions to a 'Top 15,' but they have completed that task."

posted 01-04-2010 07:35 PM               

Everyone involved in the program and all of us who have supported it will never forget what these brave astronauts did for their countries. Their sacrifice led to incredible enhancements in safety for the shuttle, and inspired NASA to move beyond LEO and start exploring space again. They have been appropriately memorialized in the past and likely will be in the future when we reach the planets.

The high profile, historic landmarks of the program are represented in various ways (Hubble, ISS, etc.) and show the great contributions of the shuttle to humankind, and this is what the program should be remembered for.

posted 01-05-2010 03:24 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by NavySpaceFan:
If I'm not mistaken, all three of our cS entries (Tim's, Sean's and Rocketman's) made the cut. Well done!!!!

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I don't know which patches were made by our three fellow cSers, but my pick is #10. It has a very nice incorporation of the NASA logo and shuttle shapes, names all space-flown shuttles in order of flight, has a subtle use of the 14 stars and uses a setting sun over a real Earth which depicts the retirement of the shuttle and her work environment. Not cluttered and no wasted areas. Very well done!

I have a few minor negative notions about all of the rest, nothing terrible but enough to not make them my number one pick. I do have to mention at least two which stand way out, so forgive me if the creators of these are reading, but regarding #1 - the wings are simply way too large. And #9 - "Endeavor"?!

posted 01-06-2010 06:29 AM               

I think patch 2, 4, 13, and 14 come the closest to being designs with the necessary simplicity and elegance. To my eyes, these designs already look like patches.

posted 01-06-2010 08:21 AM               

"I hereby authorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and/or its assignees, licensees, contractors, or designees, to make changes or alterations to my design, to reproduce my design in any and all formats, and to distribute and use my design for any and all purposes."

So issues like the eagle on the satellite in #15 for example will be dealt with. We've all known that our designs would be "polished" to conform with requirements when we entered.

My question to all of you is this: After NASA chooses and then releases the official end of program design, is there interest in having a set of patches made (later this year) of the other 14 finalists?

posted 01-06-2010 08:27 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by KSCartist:
After NASA chooses and then releases the official end of program design, is there interest in having a set of patches made (later this year) of the other 14 finalists?

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posted 01-06-2010 09:40 AM               

Number 4: Sean's

Number 6: Tim's

posted 01-08-2010 04:48 AM               

Cosmic Log: The last patch... and much more

And another of the designers (who didn't make the Top 15) has posted her review of the finalists:

saroy.net: Commemorating the Shuttle Program

posted 01-13-2010 02:02 AM               

Putting together a photo-realistic image with many shades of color is all very well but turning that into an embroidered patch with only eight different colors of thread isn't necessarily easy.

One of the real challenges in designing a patch is in creating an image that works when executed in only eight thread colors. The level of fine detail (including text) also needs to be limited to what can be executed in embroidery on a 4" patch. For me this design hasn't attempted to tackle these significant challenges.

posted 01-29-2010 12:43 PM               

I have no idea how the voting is going in the NASA employee poll and understand that the highest vote getter may not be chosen as the winning design by shuttle managers.

It was a pleasure to take part in this competition and to play a small role in the shuttle program via my former employer. (I was laid off on January 4th).

posted 02-01-2010 07:03 AM               

"A lot of people are pouring their heart into this just like they poured their heart into the shuttle program," said Tim Gagnon, a Titusville resident and former shuttle subcontractor who is one of 15 contest finalists.

posted 02-01-2010 07:04 AM               

NASA employees, public pick favorites for end-of-shuttle patch

After almost three weeks polling its employees, NASA has identified the "People's Choice" for their insignia commemorating the end of the space shuttle program. The favorite patch received nearly 30 percent of the workers' votes, but ultimately differed from the choice ranked highest by fans of the program during an unofficial public poll conducted over the same period.

The culmination of an in-house contest that resulted in 85 designs being submitted from across the agency, NASA's Shuttle Commemorative Patch People's Choice Poll gave employees the opportunity to vote for their favorite from a selection of 15 top patches as chosen by shuttle program managers serving as the contest's judges. The poll, which ran from Jan. 11 to Jan. 31, recorded 7,598 total votes...

posted 02-04-2010 08:03 AM               

Space Shuttle Program Commemorative Patch Contest

We have completed the People's Choice Award portion of our Space Shuttle Program Commemorative Patch Contest. We received an overwhelming 7,606 votes and are so pleased with the participation and excitement exhibited for the submitted designs.

The winner of the People's Choice Award is Blake Dumesnil with Hamilton Sundstrand at JSC. Dumesnil's design received 29 percent of the votes. His accomplishment will be recognized at the STS-130 Crew Debrief at Space Center Houston in early March.