seddon

This is the first version of the Swissartex STS-51E patch, made when CNES astronaut Patrick Baudry was added as a payload specialist. The body was already designed so he was added as a tab. A later crew change added Ed Garn which necessitated another patch change. Rather than destroying the patches produced up to that time, it was decided that the main body could be preserved and the Baudry tab could simple be cut off and the new Baudry/Garn tab could be glued on to the body. 

To date (2015) only 4 patches are known to have survived the removal of the tab and are in private collections.

STS-58 was a mission flown by Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 18 October 1993. It was also the last time Columbia would land at Edwards Air Force Base. STS-58 was a 1993 shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences research. Columbia’s crew performed a series of experiments to gain knowledge on how the human body adapts to the weightless environment of space. Experiments focused on cardiovascular, regulatory, neurovestibular and musculoskeletal systems of the body. The experiments performed on Columbia’s crew and on laboratory animals (48 rats held in 24 cages), along with data collected on the SLS-1 mission in June 1991, will provide the most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements acquired in the space environment since the Skylab program in 1973 and 1974.

Unlike the A-B emblem version of the STS-58 patch, this version properly includes the cadeceus and medical symbols as in the original artwork.

STS-58 was a mission flown by Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 18 October 1993. It was also the last time Columbia would land at Edwards Air Force Base. STS-58 was a 1993 shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences research. Columbia’s crew performed a series of experiments to gain knowledge on how the human body adapts to the weightless environment of space. Experiments focused on cardiovascular, regulatory, neurovestibular and musculoskeletal systems of the body. The experiments performed on Columbia’s crew and on laboratory animals (48 rats held in 24 cages), along with data collected on the SLS-1 mission in June 1991, will provide the most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements acquired in the space environment since the Skylab program in 1973 and 1974.

Curiously, this patch lacks the caduceus and medical symbols as in the original artwork.

STS-40, the eleventh launch of Space Shuttle Columbia, was a nine-day mission. It carried the Spacelab module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to biology. STS-40 was the first spaceflight that included three women crew members. Launch originally set for 22 May 1991. Mission postponed less than 48 hours before launch when it became known that a leaking liquid hydrogen transducer in orbiter main propulsion system which was removed and replaced during leak testing in 1990, had failed an analysis by vendor. Engineers feared that one or more of the nine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen transducers protruding into fuel and oxidizer lines could break off and be ingested by the engine turbopumps, causing engine failure.

It was the fifth dedicated Spacelab mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1, and first dedicated solely to life sciences, using the habitable module. Mission featured most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements in space since 1973–1974 Skylab missions. Subjects were humans, 30 rodents and thousands of tiny jellyfish. Primary SLS-1 experiments studied six body systems; of 18 investigations, ten involved humans, seven involved rodents, and one used jellyfish.

STS-40, the eleventh launch of Space Shuttle Columbia, was a nine-day mission. It carried the Spacelab module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to biology. STS-40 was the first spaceflight that included three women crew members. Launch originally set for 22 May 1991. Mission postponed less than 48 hours before launch when it became known that a leaking liquid hydrogen transducer in orbiter main propulsion system which was removed and replaced during leak testing in 1990, had failed an analysis by vendor. Engineers feared that one or more of the nine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen transducers protruding into fuel and oxidizer lines could break off and be ingested by the engine turbopumps, causing engine failure.

It was the fifth dedicated Spacelab mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1, and first dedicated solely to life sciences, using the habitable module. Mission featured most detailed and interrelated physiological measurements in space since 1973–1974 Skylab missions. Subjects were humans, 30 rodents and thousands of tiny jellyfish. Primary SLS-1 experiments studied six body systems; of 18 investigations, ten involved humans, seven involved rodents, and one used jellyfish.

Mission objective was to deploy the TDRS-B communication satellite, cancelled due to IUS failure. Most of the crew would be reassigned to STS-51-D which flew in April 1985 (except for Patrick Baudry, who was re-assigned to STS-51-G which flew in June 1985).

The A-B Emblem patch has a cut edge around the body and a sew-on tab. There are two colors of twill background, dark and light bluie. There are also two colors of sew on tabs, a dark blue and light blue as seen in the photos:

• Type 1, Dark blue main body with dark blue tab. (Hard to find).
• Type 2, Dark blue main body with a light blue tab. (Very Rare). 
• Type 2A, Light blue main body with a dark blue tab. (Extremely Rare).
• Type 3, Light blue main body with a light blue tab. (Hard to find), but the most common of the 4 patches. 

The photo on this page are the "Type 1" issue.

Mission objective was to deploy the TDRS-B communication satellite, cancelled due to IUS failure. Most of the crew would be reassigned to STS-51-D which flew in April 1985 (except for Patrick Baudry, who was re-assigned to STS-51-G which flew in June 1985).

The Swissartex patch has a merrowed edge all the way around the body and a sew-on tab. 

Mission objective was to deploy the TDRS-B communication satellite, cancelled due to IUS failure. Most of the crew would be reassigned to STS-51-D which flew in April 1985 (except for Patrick Baudry, who was re-assigned to STS-51-G which flew in June 1985).

The Swissartex patch has a merrowed edge all the way around the body and a sew-on tab. There are two colors of sew on tabs, a dark blue and light blue as seen in the photos.

 STS-51-D was the sixteenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery.[1] The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on 12 April 1985 was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third shuttle mission to be extended.

The Swissartex version has a merrowed edge all around and a stiched on tab. Some may have been recycled from the tab-less, cancelled STS-41F patches.

Swissartex Emblem Inc. also manufactured a one piece version of this patch but with a shiny vacuum sealed backing instead of the waxy matt plastic coated backing (second set of photos). 

STS-51-D was the sixteenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery.[1] The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on 12 April 1985 was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third shuttle mission to be extended.

This is an apparent modern reproduction, single piece patch, fully merrowed edge.

This STS-51D patch could be manufactured by Eagle Crest Emblem Inc. (formaly Swissartex Emblem Inc.). Swissartex manufactured a one piece vacuum sealed backed version nearly identical to the image above. The one shown above has a shiny plastic coated backing to it which fits in with Eagle Crest Emblem Inc. patches.

STS-51-D was the sixteenth flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery.[1] The launch of STS-51-D from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, on 12 April 1985 was delayed by 55 minutes, after a boat strayed into the restricted Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) recovery zone. STS-51-D was the third shuttle mission to be extended.

Below are two versions of the A-B Emblem STS-51D patch. The mid-blue and light blue versions. The mid-blue is more difficult to find.  There is also an AB Emblem example were the main body of the patch is an original STS-41F patch, but with a mid blue 'tab' sewn onto the bottom to make the whole patch a STS-51D. 

STS-41F, scheduled for launch on Discovery, had a crew of five whose names were arranged around the body of the patch. The STS-41F mission was cancelled not long before the scheduled launch and a series of crew reassignments and orbiter and payload changes followed. Eventually the original crew found themselves scheduled to fly again on Discovery with two additional mission specialists added, making it possible to reuse the original STS-41F insignia with just an additional name tab at the bottom. This allowed AB Emblems and Swissartex, who had apparently already begun manufacturing patches for the STS-41F mission, to re-use these patch bodies for the STS-51D mission with sew on name tabs at the bottom.

This patch was for the original STS-41F mission (reflown STS-51D)