NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Read below to learn more about the STS-126 mission patch.
 

Astronaut Office Symbol

When astronauts are first selected, they are given a silver pin of the astronaut office symbol. They wear this symbol until they make their first flight. Then they are given a gold astronaut office pin.
 

Leonardo

The yellow outline within the patch represents Leonardo, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Three MPLMs work as moving vans for space. The other two are named Raffaello and Donatello. Leonardo will carry about 32,000 pounds, which includes equipment and supplies. These supplies include additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and an exercise device. Now six crew members will be able to live on the station instead of three.
 

Ferguson

Commander Chris Ferguson leads mission STS-126 to the International Space Station on the space shuttle Endeavour. This is his second shuttle flight. The 15-day mission has four spacewalks planned. The main focus of the mission is to work on the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. The SARJs cause the solar wings to turn in a paddlewheel-like motion. This motion keeps the arrays pointed toward the sun.
 

Boe (bo)

Eric Boe is the pilot for space shuttle mission STS-126. Boe will fly the shuttle Endeavour. This 124th space shuttle flight is the 27th to the space station. The flight is Endeavour's 22nd. Boe has flown more than 4,000 hours on 45 different aircraft.
 

Stefanyshyn-Piper (stef-uh-NIH-shun PIE-pur)

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper is the lead spacewalker on the STS-126 space shuttle mission. She will perform three spacewalks of the four planned on this mission. STS-126 will be her second mission to the International Space Station.
 

Pettit

Mission specialist Donald Pettit will visit his old home, the International Space Station, on the STS-126 mission. Pettit was the science officer during his five-and-one-half-month stay on the station with the Expedition 6 crew.
 

Magnus

Sandra Magnus is a mission specialist. She flies to her temporary new home, the International Space Station, on STS-126. She will live and work on the station for about three months. She will be the flight engineer and science officer of the International Space Station Expedition 18 crew.
 

Bowen (bo-en)

Steve Bowen is a mission specialist. STS-126 is his first shuttle mission. He will perform three spacewalks. His spacewalks will continue to finish the International Space Station. Bowen is the first submarine officer to become an astronaut.
 

Kimbrough (kim-BRO)

STS-126 is Shane Kimbrough's first shuttle mission. He is a mission specialist. On STS-126, he will perform two spacewalks. One of the jobs that he will do on his spacewalks will be to lubricate some of the parts of the station including the hand of the robotic arm. He will also install a new TV camera on the station's backbone, which is called the truss.
 

Sunburst and Solar Arrays

The sunburst, just clearing Earth's horizon, represents the sun's energy that powers the solar arrays of the International Space Station.
 

Orion, Moon and Mars

The constellation Orion reflects the goals of the human spaceflight program. The new program to return humans to the moon and then send explorers to Mars is named Constellation. The spacecraft that astronauts will sit in is called Orion. Two Ares (air EEZ) rockets are part of the project.
 

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