Expedition 43 Crew Insignia

ISS043-S-001 (April 2013) --- The hexagon (six-sided) shape of the Expedition 43 patch represents the six crew members living and working onboard the orbital outpost. The International Space Station (ISS) is portrayed in orbit around the Earth, representing the multi-national partnership that has constructed, developed, and continues to operate the ISS for the benefit of all humankind. The sunrise marks the beginning of a new day, reflecting the fact that we're at the dawn of our history as a space faring species. The moon and planets represent future exploration of our solar system, for which the ISS is a stepping stone. Finally, the five stars honor the crews who have lost their lives during the pursuit of human spaceflight. The NASA insignia design for shuttle flights and station increments is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA