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New 'Great Leaps in Space' enamel pins celebrate astronaut missions
August 26, 2025 — As it turns out, "Giant Leaps in Space" are more popular than "Historic Robotic Spacecraft," at least when it comes to the sale of collectible pins.
Chop Shop Studio, a Pennsylvania-based design firm that focuses on space and science, has kicked off a crowdfund to produce a series of pins "celebrating the most important missions in human spaceflight history." Launched on BackerKit on Aug. 11, the Vostok, Apollo and International Space Station-focused campaign has already surpassed $6,000 from more than 130 people with two weeks more to go.
That is more than the Chop Shop's previous effort, which successfully raised $5,874 from 132 backers for a set of six commemorative pins depicting the Soviet Sputnik satellite and NASA's Voyager, Galileo, Mars Science and New Horizons planetary probes, as well as ESA's Rosetta mission to rendezvous with a comet.
This time, the studio chose to focus on missions that involved astronauts and cosmonauts. Three of the pin subjects — Apollo, the International Space Station and Vostok 1 — were the winners of a 2017 public poll for "their three favorite human spaceflight missions."
The Apollo pin depicts two astronauts on the lunar surface, with one being seen as a reflection in his crewmate's helmet visor. The lunar module is also depicted as is a deployed American flag.
The proposed International Space Station (ISS) pin shows a long-haired female crew member floating at the center of the Cupola as she looks out its windows at Earth below. The Vostok pin features both Soviet-era cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and his capsule aboard which he became the first human to fly into space in 1961.
Earlier this month, Chop Shop asked its followers on BackerKit to choose the human spaceflight vehicles of the other two pins. Topping that poll were the space shuttle and the Apollo lunar roving vehicle.
The space shuttle pin captures an overhead view of the reusable winged orbiter during launch, just as its twin solid rocket boosters had separated. The lunar roving vehicle or LRV is depicted with two Apollo astronaut on board as they drive away from their lunar module to explore the surrounding area.
As the project has reached a "stretch goal" of $6,000, Chop Shop also plans to design and produce two standalone "vehicle pins" for the Apollo lunar module and the Vostok spacecraft.
Backers can reserve a full set of five Giant Leaps in Space 2-inch (5-centimeter) enamel pins for $40, or the trio of original favorites (Apollo, ISS and Vostok) for $24. If you missed out on the earlier Historic Robotic Spacecraft campaign, you can get both sets — all 12 pins — for $100. The new Giant Leaps in Space pins are also available for $8.50 each, as well as other offers that include past related Chop Shop products.
The Giant Leaps in Space enamel pin set campaign ends on Tuesday, Sep. 9, at 2:21 p.m. CDT (1921 GMT). |
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Chop Shop Studio's new "Giant Leaps in Space" enamel pin series celebrates astronaut and cosmonaut missions. (Chop Shop Studio)

Chop Shop Studio's prior crowdfunded enamel pin set was themed to international "Historic Robotic Spacecraft." (Chop Shop Studio) |

Chop Shop Studio's "Giant Leaps in Space" set, now being crowdfunded on BackerKit through early September, includes pins celebrating Apollo, the International Space Station, Vostok, the space shuttle and the Apollo lunar roving vehicle. (Chop Shop Studio) |
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