International Space Station (ISS)

This is the astronaut designed mission insignia for the STS-96 space flight, the second Space Shuttle Mission dedicated to the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). The crew member designed patch highlights the major themes of the Station program: Earth-directed research, the advancement of human space exploration, and international cooperation. The Space Shuttle Discovery is depicted shortly after reaching orbit as the crew prepares for the first docking with the new station. At this early stage in its construction, the ISS consisted of two modules; The Russian Zarya and the U.S. Unity, shown orbiting the Earth. The triangular shape represents building on the knowledge and experience of earlier missions, while the three vertical bars point toward future human endeavors in space. The five pointed star is symbolic of the five space agencies participating in the development of the ISS: NASA, the Russian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the National Space Development Agency of Japan, and the Canadian Space Agency. The blend of red, white, and blue is a tribute to the nationalities of the STS-96 crew members who are from the United States, Russia, and Canada.