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Columbus' compass, crew's mementos on Atlantis (STS-122 OFK)
February 11, 2008 — When Christopher Columbus left the shores of Spain in 1492, he sailed with the guidance of a compass as he sought a quicker route to the West via the east (unknowingly reaching the New World in the process).
Five hundred years later, Columbus is still traveling with a compass, though the direction of discovery has changed.
"We're trying to show the continuing voyage of discovery of the early explorers, symbolized by the ship and taking it from their path, from east to west when they were in their age of discovery, to our orbital path of discovery from the west to east," described astronaut Rex Walheim of his and his crew's mission insignia. "The shape kind of takes in the old compasses that show you directions; that was kind of a nice shape that hadn't been seen before [on a patch]."
Walheim, together with fellow astronaut Stan Love, made a spacewalk today to outfit the European Space Agency's Columbus science lab, named for the Genoan explorer, in preparation for removing the module from shuttle Atlantis' payload bay to attach it to the International Space Station. Both spacewalkers were wearing their mission's compass- shaped emblem, which Walheim's wife had designed.
"My wife came up with the original design," Walheim told collectSPACE.com during a pre-flight interview. "She's a graphic designer by trade. She's a stay-at-home mom now but she designed the patch."
"Designing for engineers is not the most pleasant activity, if you've the seen results of some of engineers' designs being artistic. So, I think it worked out well," he said with a smile.
Like the 15th century explorer, Walheim and his STS-122 crewmates launched their mission with a packed ship, as most of the shuttle's cargo capacity was taken by the 22.6 foot long by 14.7 foot wide Columbus lab, as well as their own supplies for the voyage. Still, the seven person crew had a small space in which to fly a few personal items for themselves and for others.
For example, Walheim's brother Lance, a garden expert for Bayer Advanced, delivered him a dried rose that is named for and will be featured in the Tournament of Roses. It was originally planned to be part of the 2008 parade but as the mission was delayed by two months, it will be incorporated into Bayer's 2009 float.
Walheim also chose some small mementos to fly. "I have packed some medallions of our crew patch," Walheim said of the items he packed for his family. "I have got a banner from my school, from the University of California that I will fly with me."
Stan Love, who became Walheim's spacewalking partner after another crewman, Hans Schlegel fell ill, also packed items for his schools.
"I'm flying a t-shirt with signatures for my high school, same thing for my graduate school. My college sent me some stuff to take. The University of Hawaii, where I worked for a year before I came [to NASA], is sending a meteorite because I worked in the meteorite group there. And so it's going to be the world's only meteorite to enter the atmosphere twice," Love told collectSPACE.
As for Schlegel, who was reported to be feeling better and is expected to perform the flight's second spacewalk, he is flying items for his family and for home town in Germany. This is Schlegel's second mission, though he chose not to take anything from his first flight 15 years ago, "besides my spirit," he said.
Schlegel's European crewmate, Leopold Eyharts, who was transferred to the space station's crew and will stay there until the next shuttle arrives to bring him home, also flew mementos for his home region in France but preferred not to share the details, yet.
"I don't want to tell it actually, but you will probably know it when I am there [on the station]," he teased. "I have a few surprises for the people that I am bringing things for."
"I am flying an item for each of my colleges that I went to, I'm flying some things for the Navy, a couple of religious organizations," shared Atlantis' pilot Alan 'Dex' Poindexter.
All of the crew's items are packed into one of two different kits that are standard on every mission. The astronauts' mementos for other individuals are packed within personal preference kits, separate for each crew member. Items for their schools and other organizations, together with items flown for NASA and its partners, are stored inside a single 2 cubic foot container, referred to as the Official Flight Kit.
Among the thousands of mementos in the STS-122 OFK are two (deflated) footballs, one of which is packed for the alma matter of the only former NFL player among NASA's astronaut corps.
"I'm taking up a couple of NFL jerseys, Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys," said Leland Melvin, who had been a member of both teams before an injury forced his career change.
"I am taking up Christian McBride's 'Live At Tonic,' his new album. I'm taking that up because I went to a concert a while back, met him and we talked."
Melvin's also brought some of his own music.
"I play piano and I try to compose some songs every now and then. I've recorded a few songs. At home I have a little studio where I record," he explained. "Everything that was on my computer, it's now on the space iPod so I will have some of my music and quite a few songs."
Melvin is also taking a symbol of his inquisitiveness that led to his becoming an astronaut. "I am taking a Curious George t-shirt that a friend of mine gave me, because that's one of the books my mother read to me every day when I was a child, even before I could read. I always liked the fact that he was curious about life [as] that is something that I have always aspired to, being curious and staying focused on things that are out there," he said.
Like Melvin, STS-122 mission commander Stephen Frick also thought of his childhood.
"Sadly no lightsabers, STS-120 beat us to that punch. Certainly all of us are Star Wars fans from our early days, so we were excited to see that go up."
Instead, STS-122 is carrying three green race flags from the Daytona 500, which like NASA, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Two of the flags will be returned to NASCAR after the mission lands. |
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A collection of STS-122 compass-shaped patches floats inside a bag labeled for Atlantis mission specialist Leland Melvin. (NASA)
STS-122 spacewalker Rex Walheim holds a dried rose near his patch on his arm. He is flying the rose in the STS-122 OFK. (NASA)
NASCAR's three Daytona 500 green race flags as photographed before they were packed on Atlantis for the STS-122 flight. (NASA) |
The STS-122 Official Flight Kit Manifest
The following is the STS-122 Official Flight Kit manifest, as provided by NASA. Inventory numbers that are missing indicate items that were removed prior to launch.
No.
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Description
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Sponsor/Purpose
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1.
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650 STS-122 Crew Patches
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Agency Presentation
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2.
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600 Small United States Flags
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Agency Presentation
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3.
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4 Sets U.S. States & Territories Flags
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Agency Presentation
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4.
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4 Sets United Nations Members Flags
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Agency Presentation
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5.
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20 Small Texas Flags
5 Small NASA Flags
4 Small POW/MIA Flags
1 Bronze NASA Seal
1 Silver Shuttle Pendant
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Agency Presentation
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6.
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10 Small Flags of the Following States:
Pennsylvania
Texas
California
Virginia
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|
Agency Presentation
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7.
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5 Small Flags of the Following States:
Maryland
Florida
Michigan
Oregon
Washington
Hawaii
Iowa
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|
Agency Presentation
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8.
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Small Flags of the Following Countries & State:
30 Germany
30 France
1 North Rhine-Westphalia
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Agency Presentation
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9.
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20 Each Small Military Flags:
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Army
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Navy
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Agency Presentation
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10.
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10 Small United States Flags
10 Small Alabama State Flags
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Marshall Space Flight Center Presentation
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11.
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10 Small Louisiana State Flags
10 Small Mississippi State Flags
5 Small NASA Flags
5 Small United States Flags
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|
Stennis Space Center Presentation
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12.
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2 Small United States Flags
2 Small Florida State Flags
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Kennedy Space Center Presentation
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13.
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140 Silver Snoopy Pins
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Space Flight Awareness Presentation
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14.
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25 EVA Patches
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Agency Presentation
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16.
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20 Small U.S. Flags
10 STS-122 Crew Patches
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DoD Presentation
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17.
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15 STS-122 Crew Patches
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United Space Alliance Presentation
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18.
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28 Constellation Pins
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Agency Presentation
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19.
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3 (21.5"x31") Daytona 500 Flags
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Agency Presentation
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Items 20 through 76 are manifested at the request of the STS-122 crewmembers.
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20.
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3'x5' United States Flag
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U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Three, Norfolk, VA
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21.
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3'x5' United States Flag
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U.S. Navy USS Eisenhower, CVN-69, Norfolk, VA
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22.
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STS-122 Silver Medallion
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West Galveston County Interfaith Caring Ministries, Santa Fe, TX
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23.
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3'x5' Blue, Gold and White Nylon Flag
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Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
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24.
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Metal Dog Tag with Leather Thong
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Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
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25.
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Blue Patch
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U.S. Navy F-14 Digital Flight Control Systems Group, Patuxent River, MD
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26.
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Bronze Medallion
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Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola, FL
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27.
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Gold Commemorative Medallion in Casing
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Margaritaville Holdings, Key West, FL
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28.
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White T-Shirt
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Kennedy Space Center Forward/Aft Shop, Orsino, FL
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29.
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Bronze Medallion
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Georgia Institute of Technology Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, Atlanta, GA
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30.
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Red and Blue Patch
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|
U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing One, Norfolk, VA
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31.
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3'x5' U.S. Flag
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|
U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, MD
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32.
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Grey and Maroon T-Shirt
|
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Tierra Linda Middle School, San Carlos, CA
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33.
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Deflated Brown and White Football
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University of California, Berkley, CA
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34.
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8"x5" Aircraft Banner
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|
Norsk Luftfartsmuseum, Bode, Norway
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35.
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|
Small Wood Box
|
|
Country of Norway, Oslo, Norway
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36.
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|
Space Poster
|
|
Idaho Museum of Aviation, Idaho Falls, ID
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|
37.
|
|
School Banner
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|
Hurley Elementary School, Visalia, CA
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38.
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30"x30" Cloth
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|
Westminster Academy, Webster, TX
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39.
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Black Patch
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|
100th Bomber Group, Hot Springs, AR
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40.
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|
Dried Red Rose
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|
Rose Parade, Pasadena, CA
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|
41.
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|
24"x16" White and Orange Flag
|
|
California Institute of Technology Geological and Planetary Sciences, Pasadena, CA
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|
42.
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|
White T-shirt
|
|
Winston Churchill HIgh School, Eugene, OR
|
|
43.
|
|
Slice of Meteorite
|
|
University of Hawaii Pacific Regional Planetary Data Center, Honolulu, HI
|
|
44.
|
|
14"x15" Grey Octagonal Banner
|
|
Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA
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|
45.
|
|
Maroon T-Shirt
|
|
University of Washington Astronomy Department, Seattle, WA
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|
46.
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|
50 Year Anniversary Gold Resin Medallion
|
|
California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
|
|
47.
|
|
3'x5' School Banner
|
|
Crest Drive Elementary School, Eugene, OR
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|
48.
|
|
29"x11" Black Pennant
|
|
ABC College of Tae Kwon Do, Houston, TX
|
|
49.
|
|
33"x23" Scarf
|
|
Seattle Lunar Group, Seattle, WA
|
|
50.
|
|
3'x5' Blue Flag
|
|
City of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, VA
|
|
51.
|
|
27"x30" White Banner
|
|
University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
|
|
52.
|
|
White T-Shirt
|
|
University of Richmond Department of Chemistry, Richmond, VA
|
|
53.
|
|
25"x19" Thin Canvas Banner
|
|
Heritage High School, Lynchburg, VA
|
|
54.
|
|
Grey T-Shirt
|
|
Perrymont Elementary School, Lynchburg, VA
|
|
55.
|
|
3'x5' Fabric Patchwork Quilt
|
|
Project Row Houses, Houston, TX
|
|
56.
|
|
Deflated Football
|
|
University of Richmond Athletic Department, Richmond, VA
|
|
57.
|
|
Wooden Flame Design in Plastic Coating
|
|
Lakewood Church, Houston, TX
|
|
58.
|
|
Small Electrochemical Cell with Probe
|
|
University of Virginia Materials Science and Engineering Physics, Richmond, VA
|
|
59.
|
|
School Note Card
|
|
Dunbar Middle School, Lynchburg, VA
|
|
60.
|
|
Blue Pilot Cap
|
|
Lufthansa Airline, Frankfurt, Germany
|
|
61.
|
|
Bronze College Medal of Honor
|
|
Universitat Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
|
|
62.
|
|
Small Red T-shirt
|
|
Falcon Pass Elementary School, Houston, TX
|
|
63.
|
|
Metal Paperweight
|
|
RWTH University, Aachen, Germany
|
|
64.
|
|
Small Stuffed Lion Mascot
|
|
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Ornabruck, Germany
|
|
65.
|
|
White Cloth with Columbus Module Picture
|
|
Col-Control Center, Cologne, Germany
|
|
66.
|
|
Metal Square with Insignia
|
|
Boy Scouts of America Pack 848, Clear Lake City, TX
|
|
67.
|
|
8.5"x5.5" Photograph
|
|
Deutsche Raumfahrtsausstellung, Morgenrothe-Rautenkranz, Germany
|
|
68.
|
|
Bronze Medallion
|
|
City of Aachen, Aachen, Germany
|
|
69.
|
|
White Polo Shirt
|
|
Armand Bayou Montessori School, Houston, TX
|
|
70.
|
|
Gold Astronaut Pin
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
71.
|
|
Gold Astronaut Pin
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
72.
|
|
Gold Astronaut Pin
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
73.
|
|
Gold Astronaut Pin
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
74.
|
|
Gold Astronaut Pin
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
75.
|
|
Gold Astronaut Pin
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
76.
|
|
Gold Navy Astronaut Pilot Wings
|
|
Agency Presentation
|
|
Items 77 through 80 are manifested at the request of the STS-122 payload customers.
|
|
77.
|
|
200 ISS-1E Patches
190 ISS IE Pins
25 ISS MER Patches
25 ISS Vehicle Office Patches
|
|
ISS Payload Integration Presentation Items
|
78.
|
|
150 ESA Columbus Fabric Patches
280 ESA EADS Postcards
1 ESA MARS Pulcinella Ceramic Figure
11 ESA MARS Decals
21 ESA BIOTESC Decals
1 European Space Policy Document
20 ESA CADMOS French 50th Space Anniversary Certificates
10 ESA CADMOS Children's Pamphlets
7 ESA CADMOS Decals
1 ESA Erasmus Flag
20 ESA N-USOC Rectangular Decals
60 ESA EMCS Round Decals
2 ESA E-USOC Medals
2 ESA E-USOC Fabric Patches
20 Medium ESA Flags
500 Small EADS Flight Mission Certificates
|
|
European Space Agency Presentation Items
|
79.
|
|
325 STS-122 Pins
200 CMC ICC-Lite Pins
|
|
ISS Payload Customer Presentation Items
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80.
|
|
25 RAMBO Patches
25 MAUI Patches
300 Sheets of Bookmarks
|
|
Space Shuttle Program Presentation Items
|
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