STS-62A Mission Patch

STS-62A Mission Patch

NEW RELEASE! July 2022

Reproduction of this design from the source material was guided by David T. Pinson working with Justin Shaw and the AB Emblem design team.

This is our best effort of a reproduction of this patch design, based on a crew photograph from late 1985 or early 1986 that includes this design on a cake. This mission would have marked the first launch of the space shuttle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California and the first flight of astronauts into polar orbit. The primary mission - in addition to validating the new facility and launch profile - was to deploy the Teal Ruby infrared satellite for the Department of Defense. This mission, along with space shuttle launches from the west coast, was canceled following the Challenger disaster in January 1986. The Teal Ruby satellite can be seen on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, OH.

If STS-62A had flown as planned, the flight details would have been:

Launch Date: July 15, 1986

Launch Vehicle: Discovery

Crew:

Commander: Robert L. Crippen

Pilot: Guy S. Gardner

Mission Specialists: Richard M. Mullane, Jerry L. Ross, Dale A. Gardner

Payload Specialists: Edward C. Aldridge, Jr, Brett Watterson