JOHNSON SPACE CENTER Houston - JSC2010-E-079335 .

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Houston - JSC2010-E-079335 -- To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, the design of this patch aims to capture the visual essence and spirit of the program in an iconic and triumphant manner. As the Space Shuttle Program has been an innovative, iconic gem in the history of American spaceflight, the overall shape of the patch and its faceted panels are reminiscent of a diamond or other fine jewel. The shape of the patch fans out from a fine point at the bottom to a wide array across the top, to evoke the vastness of space and our aim to explore it, as the shuttle has done successfully for decades. The outlined blue circle represents the shuttle's exploration within low Earth orbit, but also creates a dynamic fluidity from the bottom right around to the top left to allude to the smoothness of the shuttle orbiting Earth. The diagonal lines cascading down into the top-right corner of the design form the American Flag as the shuttle has been one of the most recognizable icons in American history throughout the last three decades. In the top left and right panels of the design, there are seven prominent stars on each side, which represent the 14 crew members who were lost on shuttles Challenger and Columbia. Inside of the middle panel to the right of the shuttle, there are five larger, more prominent stars that signify the five space shuttle vehicles NASA has had in its fleet throughout the program. Most importantly though, this patch is as an overall celebration of the much-beloved program and vehicle that so many people have dedicated themselves to in so many capacities throughout the years with a sense of vibrancy and mysticism that the Space Shuttle Program will always be remembered by. This patch was designed by Aerospace Engineer Blake Dumesnil, who has supported the Space Shuttle Program with his work in the Avionics and Energy Systems Divisions of the NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering Directorate. It is the winning entry in a commemorative patch design contest sponsored by the Space Shuttle Program. Image credit: NASA/Blake Dumesnil