Patches

This patch commemorates Expedition 34/35, Canada's second long-duration mission on board the International Space Station (ISS). The border and living quarters highlighted in red mark the first time that a Canadian will command a spaceship, an honour bestowed on Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield. The central element portrays the International Space Station—the world's only space science and research facility supporting long-term studies in the weightless environment of space. Scientific discoveries and technological innovations made aboard the ISS have applications in both terrestrial science and planetary exploration, represented by the white, silver and red arcs symbolic of Earth, Moon and Mars. The stars represent Hadfield's three voyages into space, and his three children. The ring around one of the stars illustrates the recent discovery of hundreds of other stars with planets circling them. The azure pool at the point of the patch signifies water—the fundamental basis for life on Earth and a resource that requires careful management. Bringing attention to the need for fresh water conservation is one of Chris Hadfield's underlying goals during this mission. The astronaut wings at the top were conferred on Colonel Hadfield by the Prime Minister of Canada in 1995 in recognition of his qualification as Canada's first military pilot astronaut. All these elements are defined by the shape of a guitar pick, symbolic of Chris's musical interests with an emphasis on science and art, a distinguishing feature of Expedition 34/35.

Emblazoned with a bold 35 for the 35^th expedition to the ISS, this patch portrays a natural moonlit view of Earth from the ISS at the moment of sunrise, one of the 16 that occur each day at orbital velocity, with glowing bands of Earth's atmosphere dispersing the Sun's bright light into primary colours. Earth is depicted as it often appears from space, without recognizable coastlines or boundaries – just as the international endeavour of living and working together in space blurs technical and cultural boundaries between nations. The ISS is the unseen central figure of the image, since the view is from a window of the Space Station itself, commemorating full use of the Space Station as a long-duration dwelling from which humans can develop techniques and technologies to further explore. The crew points out, "The arc of Earth's horizon with the Sun's arrows of light imply a bow shooting the imagination to Mars and the cosmos where our species may one day thrive." The NASA insignia design for shuttle and Space Station flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the form of illustrations by the various news media. If there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, it will be publicly announced.