October 18 - 23, 1989
Atlantis

Crew & Mission

(S89-44280 - 6 September 1989) --- STS-34 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, crewmembers, smiling, pose for an informal group portrait during the thirty days before launch (T-30) press briefing in the JSC Auditorium and Public Affairs Facility Bldg 2 briefing room. Seated (left to right) are Mission Specialist (MS) Ellen S. Baker, MS Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, MS Shannon W. Lucid, and standing are Pilot Michael J. McCulley (left) and Commander Donald E. Williams.

The Artwork

(17 July 1989) --- The triangular shape of the STS-34 crew patch represents forward motion and the entering into new frontiers of science, engineering and technology. The Galileo spacecraft overlaying the orbiter symbolizes the joining together of both manned and unmanned space programs in order to maximize the capabilities of each. The crewmembers, who designed the patch, use a sunrise stretching across Earth's horizon to depict expansion of our knowledge of the solar system and other worlds, leading to a better understanding of our own planet. In the distance, Jupiter, a unique world with many unknowns, awaits the arrival of Galileo to help unlock its secrets. Meanwhile, the Space Shuttle remains in Earth- orbit, continuing to explore the near-Earth environment.