The Space Shuttle mission STS-38 (Atlantis, launched November 15, 1990) was a Department of Defense flight carrying classified payloads for the U.S. government. Because the details of the mission were classified, aspects of its insignia and informal emblems have taken on some lore among space and military patch collectors. The official NASA mission patch features two stylized shuttle orbiters — one white on top and a black/white mirror image below. NASA’s explanation focuses on honoring all those who support the Space Shuttle program, with the mirrored orbiter symbolizing often-unheralded contributors. The "Dark" version inverts the light and dark parts of the insignia .It is not known known how many of the original patch were actually made for the crew and support personnel. This patch is a 4" patch and will ship mid-January 2026.
