sts-51e

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).

This version of the TDRS-B patch is not a silk patch but was woven. Acquired from the estate of a TRW employee. 

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).

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.

TDRS-B was launched in the payload bay of Challenger, attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). It was to have been deployed from the Shuttle in low Earth orbit. The IUS would have then performed two burns to raise the satellite into a geosynchronous orbit. On the previous TDRS launch, TDRS-1, the IUS second stage motor malfunctioned following the first stage burn, resulting in a loss of control, and delivery of the satellite into an incorrect orbit.

TDRS-B was originally scheduled for launch on STS-12 in March 1984, however it was delayed and the flight cancelled following the IUS failure on TDRS-1. It was later re-manifested on STS-51E, however this too was cancelled due to concerns over the reliability of the IUS. It was eventually assigned to STS-51L, which was to also carry the SPARTAN-Halley astronomy satellite.

STS-51L launched with TDRS-B at 16:38 GMT on 28 January 1986. The Shuttle disintegrated 73 seconds after launch due to an o-ring failure in one of the Solid Rocket Boosters, killing the seven astronauts aboard.
 

Note that a dark bordered variation also exists.