STS-7 NASA Mission Patch

I’m fascinated by NASA mission patch designs. My all time favorite is the STS-7. It was the second mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger. In the lower right portion of the design is an icon representing the four male astronauts and one female astronaut—Sally Ride. The image of Challenger is juxtaposed to the Earth’s blue atmospheric horizon. Seven stars keep watch while the crew deploys the robotic arm used by the orbiter to capture payloads. The arm is being maneuvered to form the number seven. Fantastic design.