Expedition 61 Patch

Expedition 61 Patch

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Expedition 61 Patch

Crew: Andrew Morgan, Alexander Skvortsov, Luca Parmitano, Oleg Skripochka, Jessica Meir, and Christina Koch.

The mission: 

During Expedition 61, crew members will make improvements to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer in an effort to extend its life and support its mission of looking for evidence of dark matter, they will provide input on how a vest designed to protect vital organs from radiation fits as they perform daily tasks, they will operate an exploration rover on Earth from space to test for future Lunar or Martian exploration and will work to understand cotton root systems to enable the development of cotton cultivars more robust in the face of drought and pests.

The patch:

The Expedition 61 patch represents an exciting and dynamic time aboard the International Space Station as it constantly advances towards a limitless future in space. The overall patch view is from an approaching vehicle in pursuit of the space station. The sun is the most prominent, central element in the patch as the source of energy and life for the Earth, the station and our entire solar system. As the present focus of human spaceflight, the space station is centered in the emblem while barely eclipsing the sun with its tiny shadow, reminding of us that human exploration is a small part of our quest to understand the universe. Fifteen of the sun’s rays represent the 15 original partner members of the space station program, while the 16th ray represents an open invitation for continued collaboration with new partners. The four yellow rays form the cardinal directions of a compass, symbolizing the innate human drive to explore.

The advancing terminator represents the dawn of a new day on Earth. The name ring appears to float through space and has no single orientation, emphasizing the variety of viewpoints assembled in an international crew unified under one mission. Nine rays extend beyond the name ring to represent the nine human missions that have braved exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, thus encouraging us to drive boundlessly out into our solar system.