posted 03-31-2020 04:23 PM               

The opposite arm has the NASA insignia and "SpaceX" embroidered in the same style as the crew's names.

posted 05-20-2020 04:30 PM               

I wasn't aware that PVC patches were spaceflight-rated, but apparently they must be?

posted 05-26-2020 07:00 AM               

SpaceX astronauts first to forgo wearing mission patch for launch since Gemini

The first NASA astronauts to launch from the United States in almost a decade will also be the first American crew in 55 years to lift off wearing spacesuits that lack a mission patch.

It is not that SpaceX's first mission to fly with astronauts does not have an official insignia — in fact, it has two — but rather, it was a choice made by the company to not add either a patch to the pressure garments that crew members Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will wear when they board the Dragon spacecraft for launch.

posted 05-26-2020 11:10 AM               

However, the NASA DM-2 crew patch manufactured by AB Emblem been out for a while now and not placing it on the astronauts spacesuits raises my eyebrow. Even though this is a private company launch vehicle and spacecraft it is still very much a NASA mission with NASA astronauts.

Even if it were pressure suit related another form such as beta cloth or screen print should have been able to have been used. Like another person posted, maybe it will be on their flight coveralls or whatever else they will be wearing.

posted 05-26-2020 03:19 PM               

Discussing these differences with NASA Spaceflight is Steve Payne, the recently retired Commercial Crew Launch Integration Manager for NASA.

Unlike back in the day when NASA had control of everything, the commercial provider, in this case SpaceX, owns the rocket. They own the capsule. They own the roads in their launch pad and all the assembly and testing of their rocket. That's all theirs. Anything inside the pad perimeter belongs to them.

posted 05-27-2020 09:23 PM               

There are already several suits in existence, some of which were used for training, that SpaceX may send out for display, however, they also have the right to pull the flight suits apart to examine them for engineering purposes post-mission if they so wish.

Without knowing the design of the suit it is difficult to know what impact a mission patch would have on the suit function. Is the white outer surface of the suit just a covering? Or does it serve some critical function that adding extra additional failure nodes could prove detrimental? Does the printers ink or dye used for a stenciled design effect the suit material? And would an additional mission patch change the aesthetics SpaceX designers were going for (did they think it would be just plain ugly)? The use of the NASA worm typeface may have taken up suit real estate, or perhaps it was a choice between the US flag or a mission patch.

posted 05-28-2020 04:21 AM            

I'd be happy to see it mature into something more sustainable like squadron and ship's badges, airplane type badges etc. Now if it's a real exploration mission, say "Mars One" or something, by all means then a mission patch is appropriate. But "random company Earth orbital capsule 426C", really? Why bother? SpaceX are moving away from a fairly sclerotic NASA past few decades. Now's as good a time for a change as any.

posted 05-28-2020 04:51 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by David C:
As I say though. I'm probably in a minority of one here.

---

posted 05-28-2020 10:36 AM               

If I was an engineer who worked on a Spacelab experiment for a university, for example, I would be absolutely stoked to see my project encapsulated in a patch or other insignia. An astronaut may not wear it, but I know it's on a sticker slapped on the side of the rack up in space and I may have received a patch for my participation.

It is often a symbol of pride. They celebrate teamwork and camaraderie. Astronauts wear personal patches to mark their mission goals or symbols of their stay. Just about every patch is earned through hard work, be it training, engineering or scientific research.

They also give the public something to mark the milestone with both visually and tangibly and even offer a way for the public to participate and take home a small part of the mission as a keepsake. The public doesn't see 95% of the patches that may accompany a single flight to the ISS, but every one of those insignias makes a team somewhere out there swell with pride.

posted 05-28-2020 12:07 PM               

Moreover, it is not like SpaceX is ending the patch tradition. The embroidered one simply won't be on the flight suit. It was highly visible in many other places on SpaceX territory during the DM-2 first launch attempt.

posted 05-29-2020 03:44 AM            

Liem, your point about morale patches and stickers is a completely unrelated subject. If Acme Pharmaceutical launch their Novel Integrated Medicated RNA Organ Donation experiment and they choose to produce a patch and stickers, why not? Similarly, if the University of Anywhere State Astrophysics department flies their Coronal Research Astrophysics Package and want their stickers for that then have at it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by lucspace:
I don't quite understand why anyone would make a point of stressing NOT being interested in something discussed in this forum among enthusiasts...

---

Currently, I have a set of Liem's Mercury shingle patches on order. I have a full set of Apollo beta cloths. Walt Cunningham's Apollo 7 "re-issue" and original design. Several Grumman Apollo Xs, several versions of the Apollo XVII white eagles, I have an original Apollo 1, a flown Gemini X and Apollo XI. Lots of the authentic reproduction STS-1s, AS-13s, AS-11s, MSC T-38s, the LM patches, the authentic reproduction Gemini sets, etc. I like good, and/or significant patches. Please do not make things up that I did not write.

Anyway, I have a DM-2 patch in the mail, but who knows when I will actually receive it. It's an historic mission so I had to get one. However, in my opinion, the only other noteworthy feature of the design is its instant forgettability. The various CST-100 patches have been of a similar low standard.

This is the main reason that I'd be happy to see a patch per flight go the way of dinosaurs. There are only so many good variations on the same theme out there. Now Crew 1 on the other hand is outstanding. The best patch I can remember in a very long time (I'd have to wade through them all to fairly put a number on it, but it really is a stand out).