truly

STS-8 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission which launched on 30 August 1983 and landed on 5 September; it conducted the first night launch and night landing of the program, and flew the first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford. The mission was a notable success, achieving all of its planned research objectives, but was marred by the subsequent discovery that a solid-fuel rocket booster had almost malfunctioned catastrophically during the launch. STS-8 was the eighth Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The primary payload was INSAT-1B, an Indian communications and weather observation satellite, which was released by the orbiter and boosted into a geostationary orbit. The secondary payload, replacing a delayed NASA communications satellite, was a four-metric-ton dummy payload, intended to test the use of the shuttle's "Canadarm" remote manipulator system. Scientific experiments carried on board Challenger included the environmental testing of new hardware and materials designed for future spacecraft, the study of biological materials in electric fields under microgravity, and research into space adaptation syndrome (also known as "space sickness"). The flight furthermore served as shakedown testing for the previously launched TDRS-1 satellite, which would be required to support the subsequent STS-9 mission.

This version of the STS-2 path from Swissartex has the distinctive white embroidery near the nose of the shuttle. This patch was produiced fro 1983 and on.

Modern reproduction with modern embroidery and nice detail. 

"Troop" = Richard H. Truly
"Bo Bob" = Karol J. Bobko
"Crip" = Robert L. Crippen

"Johnny" = Dzhanibekov
"Boris" = Andreyev
"Yuri" = Romanenko
"Sasha" = Ivanchenko

Extremely rare.

STS-2 was the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981 and landed two days later on 14 November. STS-2 marked the first time ever that a manned, reusable orbital spacecraft left the Earth for its second mission and returned to space.

The AB Emblem STS-2 patch has a plastic coated back. This example is enclosed in a Swissartex / Kennedy Space Certer packet. This is because Swissartex who had the contract with the Kennedy Space Center, could not supply their own version of the STS-2 patch so they bought in around 1,000 patches from AB Emblem to cover the short fall. There is a rubber stamp on the back of the card header which says: EMBLEM MFG. IN USA PACKAGED BY SWISSARTEX EMBLEM INC. (Other AB Emblem patches were bought in to cover short falls during this contract between 1983 - 1988, along with patches manufactured by Cape Kennedy Medals). 

This patch was designed by STS-8 Pilot Dan Brandenstein. In the right window are Commander Richard Truly's eyes, behind spectacles, looking casually at things to come. Truly was the only veteran on board STS-8. The wonders of spaceflight might have seemed routine to him, having previously flown aboard STS-2. In the left window four pairs of wide open eyes can be seen gazing out. The eyes of the four rookies; Dan Brandenstein, Dale Gardnet, Guy Bluford and Bill Thornton. 

This patch was designed by STS-8 Pilot Dan Brandenstein. In the right window are Commander Richard Truly's eyes, behind spectacles, looking casually at things to come. Truly was the only veteran on board STS-8. The wonders of spaceflight might have seemed routine to him, having previously flown aboard STS-2. In the left window four pairs of wide open eyes can be seen gazing out. The eyes of the four rookies; Dan Brandenstein, Dale Gardnet, Guy Bluford and Bill Thornton.

STS-8 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission which launched on 30 August 1983 and landed on 5 September; it conducted the first night launch and night landing of the program, and flew the first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford. The mission was a notable success, achieving all of its planned research objectives, but was marred by the subsequent discovery that a solid-fuel rocket booster had almost malfunctioned catastrophically during the launch. STS-8 was the eighth Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

The primary payload was INSAT-1B, an Indian communications and weather observation satellite, which was released by the orbiter and boosted into a geostationary orbit. The secondary payload, replacing a delayed NASA communications satellite, was a four-metric-ton dummy payload, intended to test the use of the shuttle's "Canadarm" remote manipulator system. Scientific experiments carried on board Challenger included the environmental testing of new hardware and materials designed for future spacecraft, the study of biological materials in electric fields under microgravity, and research into space adaptation syndrome (also known as "space sickness"). The flight furthermore served as shakedown testing for the previously launched TDRS-1 satellite, which would be required to support the subsequent STS-9 mission.

STS-8 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission which launched on 30 August 1983 and landed on 5 September; it conducted the first night launch and night landing of the program, and flew the first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford. The mission was a notable success, achieving all of its planned research objectives, but was marred by the subsequent discovery that a solid-fuel rocket booster had almost malfunctioned catastrophically during the launch. STS-8 was the eighth Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

The primary payload was INSAT-1B, an Indian communications and weather observation satellite, which was released by the orbiter and boosted into a geostationary orbit. The secondary payload, replacing a delayed NASA communications satellite, was a four-metric-ton dummy payload, intended to test the use of the shuttle's "Canadarm" remote manipulator system. Scientific experiments carried on board Challenger included the environmental testing of new hardware and materials designed for future spacecraft, the study of biological materials in electric fields under microgravity, and research into space adaptation syndrome (also known as "space sickness"). The flight furthermore served as shakedown testing for the previously launched TDRS-1 satellite, which would be required to support the subsequent STS-9 mission.

STS-8 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission which launched on 30 August 1983 and landed on 5 September; it conducted the first night launch and night landing of the program, and flew the first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford. The mission was a notable success, achieving all of its planned research objectives, but was marred by the subsequent discovery that a solid-fuel rocket booster had almost malfunctioned catastrophically during the launch. STS-8 was the eighth Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

The primary payload was INSAT-1B, an Indian communications and weather observation satellite, which was released by the orbiter and boosted into a geostationary orbit. The secondary payload, replacing a delayed NASA communications satellite, was a four-metric-ton dummy payload, intended to test the use of the shuttle's "Canadarm" remote manipulator system. Scientific experiments carried on board Challenger included the environmental testing of new hardware and materials designed for future spacecraft, the study of biological materials in electric fields under microgravity, and research into space adaptation syndrome (also known as "space sickness"). The flight furthermore served as shakedown testing for the previously launched TDRS-1 satellite, which would be required to support the subsequent STS-9 mission.

Lion Brothers version. One of the most highly-sought LB patches. Easily recognized by the larger "USA" on the wing as well as cloth back.

This patch was designed by STS-8 Pilot Dan Brandenstein. In the right window are Commander Richard Truly's eyes, behind spectacles, looking casually at things to come. Truly was the only veteran on board STS-8. The wonders of spaceflight might have seemed routine to him, having previously flown aboard STS-2. In the left window four pairs of wide open eyes can be seen gazing out. The eyes of the four rookies; Dan Brandenstein, Dale Gardnet, Guy Bluford and Bill Thornton. Beware of oor quality copies of this patch that are known to exist.
This is the original version.

STS-8 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission which launched on 30 August 1983 and landed on 5 September; it conducted the first night launch and night landing of the program, and flew the first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford. The mission was a notable success, achieving all of its planned research objectives, but was marred by the subsequent discovery that a solid-fuel rocket booster had almost malfunctioned catastrophically during the launch. STS-8 was the eighth Shuttle mission and the third flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

The primary payload was INSAT-1B, an Indian communications and weather observation satellite, which was released by the orbiter and boosted into a geostationary orbit. The secondary payload, replacing a delayed NASA communications satellite, was a four-metric-ton dummy payload, intended to test the use of the shuttle's "Canadarm" remote manipulator system. Scientific experiments carried on board Challenger included the environmental testing of new hardware and materials designed for future spacecraft, the study of biological materials in electric fields under microgravity, and research into space adaptation syndrome (also known as "space sickness"). The flight furthermore served as shakedown testing for the previously launched TDRS-1 satellite, which would be required to support the subsequent STS-9 mission.

STS-2 was the second Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, and the second flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981 and landed two days later on 14 November. STS-2 marked the first time ever that a manned, reusable orbital spacecraft left the Earth for its second mission and returned to space.
In the early planning stages of the Space Shuttle program, STS-2 was intended to be a Skylab reboost mission. However, delays with the shuttle's development, and the deteriorating orbit of Skylab, made the mission impossible. Skylab ultimately de-orbited in 1979, two years before the launch of STS-2

The nine-month-long ALT program was conducted from February through November 1977 at the Dryden Flight Research Facility and demonstrated that the orbiter could fly in the atmosphere and land like an airplane, except without power-gliding flight. Two NASA astronaut crews-Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton and Joe Engle and Dick Truly-took turns flying the 150,000-pound spacecraft to free-flight landings.