Name/Title
NASA Mission Patch - Skylab I (Conrad, Kerwin, Weitz)Entry/Object ID
2024.039.2Description
NASA Mission Patch - Skylab I (Conrad, Kerwin, Weitz). This Skylab 1 Patch measures 3 inches in diameter and was produced by NASA's official patch manufacturer, AB Emblem. Skylab was the first US orbital space station. Skylab 1 was one of three missions to the space station, and was launched on top of a Saturn IB rocket on May 14, 1973. The mission was crewed by Commander Pete Conrad, Science Pilot Joe Kerwin and Pilot Paul Weitz. The mission lasted for 28 days, 49 minutes, 49 seconds, and travelled approximately 18,500,000 kilometres.
Skylab 1 Patch
Measures 3 Inches in Diameter
Manufactured by AB Emblem
Official NASA Patch
The Skylab Expedition 1 patch was designed by Frank Kelly Freas, a well known artist highly regarded in the science fiction field. He wrote an article describing his experience of designing the patch, “Skylab Patchwork,” which was published in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact magazine.
Freas specifically optimized his design for this patch to be embroidered, and it shows. This is perhaps the only patch that looks better in the embroidered version than it does in the original artwork. He also created a painting as a companion to the patch, which presents the image on the patch in a more representational and less abstract fashion.