Space Shuttle Projects

This is the crew insignia for STS-97 which delivered, assembled, and activated the U.S. electrical power system onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The electrical power system, which is built into a 47-foot integrated truss structure known as P6, consists of solar arrays, radiators, batteries, and electronics. P6 was prepared for subsequent deployments of larger solar arrays and radiator, a critical step in the activation of the electrical power system that will eventually provide the power necessary for the first ISS crews to live and work in the U.S. segment. The crew patch depicts the space shuttle docked to the ISS in low Earth orbit after the activation of the P6 electrical power system. Gold and silver were used to highlight the portion of the ISS that were installed by the STS-97 crew. The sun, central to the design, is the source of energy for the ISS. The crew member names surround the outer border of the patch.