The mission patch depicts the Space Shuttle Columbia
and the two research satellites its crew will deploy into the blue field of space. The
uppermost satellite is the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph-Shuttle
Pallet Satellite (ORFEUS-SPAS); the lower satellite is the Wake Shield Facility (WSF).
ORFEUS and WSF are joined by the symbol of the Astronaut Corps, representing the human
contribution to scientific progress in space. The two bright blue stars represent the
mission's Extravehicular Activities (EVA), final rehearsals for techniques and tools to
be used in assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). Surrounding Columbia is
a constellation of 16 stars, one for each day of the mission, representing the stellar
talents of the ground and flight teams that share the goal of expanding knowledge through
permanent human presence in space.
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