STS-76 Patch
The STS-76 crew patch depicts the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Russian Space Station Mir as the two space ships prepare for a rendezvous and docking. The "Spirit of 76," an era of new beginnings, is represented by the Space Shuttle rising through the circle of 13 stars in the Betsy Ross flag. STS-76 began a new period of international cooperation in space exploration with the first Shuttle transport of a U. S. astronaut, Shannon Lucid, to Mir for extended joint space research. Frontiers for future exploration are represented by the stars and planets. The three gold trails and the ring of stars in the union form the astronaut logo. Two suited extravehicular activity (EVA) crew members in the outer ring represent the first EVA during Shuttle-Mir docked operations. The EVA objectives are to install science experiments on the Mir exterior and to develop procedures for future EVA's on the international space station. The names of the crew members encircle the patch: Commander - Kevin Chilton (USAF); Pilot - Rick Searfoss (USAF); Mission Specialist 1 - Ron Sega; Mission Specialist 2 - Rich Clifford; Mission Specialist 3 - Linda Godwin; Mission Specialist 4 (Mir) - Shannon Lucid.
The patch was designed by Brandon Clifford, student, age 12, and the crew of STS-76.
