August 02 - 11, 1992
Atlantis

Crew & Mission

(STS043-S-002 -) --- STS-43 official crew portrait shows astronauts standing in front of a landed space shuttle orbiter at sunset. Crewmembers, wearing launch and entry suits (LESs) and holding launch and entry helmets (LEHs), are (left to right) Mission Specialist (MS) Shannon W. Lucid, MS James C. Adamson, Commander John E. Blaha, MS G. David Low, and Pilot Michael A. Baker. The portrait was created using a double exposure.

The Artwork

(STS043-S-001 - 6 February 1991) --- Designed by the astronauts assigned to fly on the mission, the STS 43 patch portrays the evolution and continuity of the USA's space program by highlighting 30 years of American manned space flight experience -- from Mercury to the Space Shuttle. The emergence of the Shuttle Atlantis from the outlined configuration of the Mercury space capsule commemorates this special relationship. The energy and momentum of launch are conveyed by the gradations of blue which mark the Shuttle's ascent from Earth to space. Once in Earth orbit, Atlantis' cargo bay opens to reveal the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) which appears in gold emphasis against the white wings of Atlantis and the stark blackness of space. A primary mission objective, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) will enable almost continuous communication from Earth to space for future Space Shuttle missions. The stars on the patch are arranged to suggest this mission's numerical designation, with four stars left of Atlantis and three to the right.

Related & Souvenir