STS-106 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis. Space Station assembly flight ISS-2A.2b utilized the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) to bring supplies to the station. The mission also included two spacewalks.
Zvezda is depicted on the crew patch mated with the already orbiting Node 1 Unity module and Russian-built Functional Cargo Block, called Zarya (sunrise), with a Progress supply vehicle docked to the rear of the Station. The International Space Station is shown in orbit with Earth above as it appears from the perspective of space. The Astronaut Office symbol, a star with three rays of light, provides a connection between the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Space Station, much the same as the Space Shuttle Program is linked to the International Space Station during its construction and future research operations. Stylized versions of flags from Russia and the United States meet at the Space Station. They symbolize both the cooperation and joint efforts of the two countries during the development and deployment of the permanent outpost in space as well as the close relationship of the American and Russian crew members.
