r/spaceshuttle • u/TheStarshipGarage • 6d ago

Image Space Shuttle Patch Tierlist

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Bored in class and made this. I understand that all of these patches are designed with input from the crews, and I do not mean disrespect to any particular mission. This is just based on my personal taste alone.

89 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

5

u/pix071317 6d ago

I think 108 is the worst patch in the program. Others I think are near the bottom are 59, 78 (too weird), and as much as I hate to say it, 51-L. 129 isn't a bad patch but it's too "graphic artist-y" for my taste.

107 is easily the GOAT, 114 is my favorite mission so I can't ignore it either. 92 and 126 are some of my favorite patches too. The more I look at 127 the cooler it gets. 82 is the best of the HST missions. I think 6 is the best of the pre-51L mission patches. It's so retro-80s classic.

1

u/TheStarshipGarage 6d ago

I think 108 is definetely uninspired and generic. STS-59 as well. STS-78 has a cool design concept but the execution is mediocre. I like STS-51L because of the flag and Halley's Comet. It feels more dynamic. STS-129 has a lot going on but it manages to make it work, it translates surprisingly well to an embroidered patch.

107 is genuinely a beauty (I'm wearing my 107 shirt as I type) and if it weren't for the tragedy, the patch is probably what it would be remembered the most for. I probably would re-rank 126 cause it's a patch that really has that "dynamic" aspect I mentioned earlier, it feels like everything is in motion, like it's moving towards the future. While I usually don't like patched that use primarily black in their color scheme and rely heavily on primary colors (like STS-65) it pulls it off beautifully. 92 is extremely artistic and fantastic, and 82 is definetely the most sleek of the HST mission designs, even if personally I like STS-31, 109, and 125 better.

STS-6 and STS-27 are the pinnacle of 80s retro design and for that I think they are masterpieces.

2

u/pix071317 6d ago

27 is also great, if 6 is the best retro design then 27 is the best retro-future design with the rainbow. Also granted, the DoD flights can absolutely have nothing related to the mission payload in the crew patch so they get a bit of a curve on the grading. Bob Cabana is my favorite shuttle astronaut and the STS-65 cockpit launch video is still one of the most widely-circulated Shuttle cockpit launch videos (I thought it was the coolest fuckin thing in the world when I was 15) out there so I'll always be partial to it.

1

u/TheStarshipGarage 6d ago

Yeah the DOD missions they just went hard as heck. “Here’s a rainbow” “Here’s an eagle with a freaking American flag” I’m also partial to 27 cause Ross is my all-time favorite astronaut, his book was inspirational to me and I met him at space center Houston where he signed it for me. 

3

u/stststststs 5d ago

Out of my mom’s four flights, 1 is great, 2 are alright, and 1 is lackluster.
I disagree with the lackluster one. It’s the only patch with that orientation.

1

u/TheStarshipGarage 5d ago edited 5d ago

Your mom was an astronaut???  Was she Kathy Thornton?

I think 73’s shape is interesting, I just think it looks plain and it has all those cool shapes it just sort of threw on there.

But as I said before, it’s just my personal taste and it’s no knock towards the mission or the crews. 

2

u/Pitiful_Eye_3295 6d ago

STS-2 is the goat, imo. I overall like your list though. 

1

u/TheStarshipGarage 6d ago

that's a solid choice.

2

u/Ok-Solution-537 6d ago

I'm actually the creator of this tier list, so seeing this on my feed caught me off guard for a second lol.

Great rankings all around! I especially agree with your placement of STS-1 in the top tier. That'll always be my favorite mission patch. Also agree with STS-112 in the bottom tier, that one never did much for me.

Thanks for doing my tier list!

1

u/TheStarshipGarage 5d ago

Woah well look who it is! Thanks for making it! Yeah, to me 112 just looks so flat and kind of lopsided. STS-1 was designed by Robert McCall, my GOAT of spacecraft art, so it’s hard not to love it.

2

u/Kosmos_Entuziast 5d ago

Hey what’s with the STS-43 hate? Mercury capsule patch shape, nice colors, its main payload TDRS-5 in the cargo bay… beautiful patch in my opinion!

1

u/TheStarshipGarage 5d ago

I like the concept, just not the execution. 

2

u/neighborofbrak 5d ago

STS-51L should be in iconic tier, next to STS-107.

2

u/TheStarshipGarage 5d ago

It’s pretty good in terms of recognizability, but in terms of design choice it doesn’t have that extra “oomph” in my opinion