vandenberg

STS-62-A was a planned Space Shuttle mission to deliver a reconnaissance payload (Teal Ruby) into polar orbit. It was expected to use Discovery. It would have been the first manned launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The mission designation, 62-A, meant: 6=fiscal year 1986, 2=Vandenberg (1=Kennedy Space Center), and A=first flight in that fiscal year.

The destruction of Challenger and subsequent halt of the Space Shuttle Program led to the cancellation of the mission.

This is one of a set of three patches created based on the concept artwork for the missions. They may be unauthroized reproductions.

STS-62-A was a planned Space Shuttle mission to deliver a reconnaissance payload (Teal Ruby) into polar orbit. It was expected to use Discovery. It would have been the first manned launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The mission designation, 62-A, meant: 6=fiscal year 1986, 2=Vandenberg (1=Kennedy Space Center), and A=first flight in that fiscal year.

The destruction of Challenger and subsequent halt of the Space Shuttle Program led to the cancellation of the mission.

This is one of a set of three patches created based on the concept artwork for the missions. They may be unauthroized reproductions.

STS-62-A was a planned Space Shuttle mission to deliver a reconnaissance payload (Teal Ruby) into polar orbit. It was expected to use Discovery. It would have been the first manned launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The mission designation, 62-A, meant: 6=fiscal year 1986, 2=Vandenberg (1=Kennedy Space Center), and A=first flight in that fiscal year.

The destruction of Challenger and subsequent halt of the Space Shuttle Program led to the cancellation of the mission.

This is one of a set of three patches created based on the concept artwork for the missions. They may be unauthroized reproductions.

SLC-6, aka "Slick 6", was the planned shuttle launch pad at Vandenberg AFB. It was never used, but much integration work was performed in anticipation of a launch there. 

The Terra satellite was initially called EOS AM-1. This satellite was launched in December 1999 and AM-2 is planned to be launched in 2004. The Terra/EOS AM-1 satellite crosses the equator at 10:30, while the Aqua (PM-1) satellite crosses at 13:30, local time. The imaging sensors are the Advanced Spacebourne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), and Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The satellites have a polar, circular, sun-synchronous 705-km orbit with a 16-day repeat cycle. The ASTER instrument has channels in the VNIR, SWIR and TIR, with a swath width of 60 km. Channel 3 can also be pointed backward looking as well as nadir looking. MISR has a swath width of 360 km and consists of nine scanners at fixed angles: one nadir, four pointed fore, and four aft. The angled scanners are at 26.1, 45.6, 60.0, and 70.5 degrees. MISR has two spatial modes: Local and Global. In Local Mode the spatial resolution is 275 m, and in Global Mode these pixels are averaged either 4 x 4, 1 x 4, or 2 x 2. MODIS has 36 spectral bands and a 2330 km swath width.

Growing up in Bakersfield, California presented many opportunities to view a space shuttle landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Financial burdens and military obligations (as an adult), however, prevented me from viewing an actual space shuttle launch. The launch of STS-62A would have afforded me the best opportunity to see a space shuttle launch. Many years later, I entertained the idea of creating my own design for STS-62A.

The design for "STS-62A Revisited" is simple due to the classified nature of the mission. The colors were loosely based upon the colors of the Air Force Achievement Medal and the NASA "meatball" emblem. The white stars within the outer circle represented of each of the astronauts assigned to the mission. The four stars in space represent the space shuttle fleet at the time the STS-62A mission was approved - Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, and Atlantis. (Note - remember that the role of Enterprise was important for the preparation and mock staging for a west coast launch). Discovery's silhouette orbiter over the "North Pole" expresses some ambiguity of its orientation in space, and is accompanied with the red flight path to signify the polar orbit launch. Halley's Comet was added to give an "artistic dating" to the patch.

"STS-62A Revisited" is 4 inch (10.16 cm) in diameter and is a fully embroidered patch. Availability is limited to 86 patches (referencing the year of launch) for sale. I have personally numbered and signed each patch. As of 07 May 2013, 47 patches remain. The patch is a first come basis; once they are gone, they are gone.

Eric Bangloy is selling the remaining patches for $6.50 each; two patches for $10.00. These prices includes packaging and handling. If you're interested in purchasing this patch, please send me an email at ebangloy@gmail.com Please place STS-62A “Revisited” in the subject line.

Eric would like to personally acknowledge and thank Tim Gagnon and Jorge Cartes for their diligent assistance in making "STS-62A Revisited" design a reality. 

USAF TITAN IV-3 'ELVIRA' LAUNCH TEAM PATCH
VAFB 6595th ASTG AEROSPACE TEST GROUP SPACE LAUNCH SQUADRON
CRYSTAL II/1 PAYLOAD (launched 11/28/92)
 
4 color version

The U.S. Department of Energy's Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) satellite was placed into low Earth orbit March 12 by an Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket. Liftoff occurred at 0929 UTC (01:29 PST) from pad 576-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. MTI is designed to spend three years in space testing new imaging technologies that might be used by future spy satellites. The 610 kg (1345 lbm) satellite carries a sophisticated telescope that collects day and night images of the Earth in 15 spectral bands ranging from the visible to long-wave infrared. If the techniques work, they could detect facilities on Earth suspected of producing nuclear or chemical weapons of mass destruction. The satellite was designed and built by a government and industry team led by Sandia National Laboratories, including the Air Force Research Laboratory, Ball Aerospace, Raytheon, and TRW.  MTI will fly in a 555 km (360 nmi) circular sun-synchronous orbit inclined at 97 degrees to earth's equator.
 

DOD Manned Space Flight Support Office or DDMS
 

One of a 5 patch set from SLC-6.
Replica from Eagle One Aerospace.

One of a 5 patch set from SLC-6.
Replica from Eagle One Aerospace.

One of a 5 patch set from SLC-6.
Replica from Eagle One Aerospace.

One of a 5 patch set from SLC-6.
Replica from Eagle One Aerospace.

One of a set of 5 patches from SLC-6.
Replica from Eagle One Aerospace.

The Pathfinder project was created to test payload loading of the shuttle at Vandenberg's SLC-6 now-defunct shuttle launch site. The Enterprise was used for testing.

This patch has 'STS-1V instead of 'SLC-6' as found on a similar patch

The ACRIMSAT Mission will measure Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) during its five-year
mission life. The ACRIMSAT spacecraft, carrying the ACRIM III instrument, will be secondary payload on a
Taurus vehicle scheduled to launch in December 1999.