STS-61-A Mission Patch - NASA’s First 8-Crew Spaceflight (1985) #2009758 (License: Personal Use)

This circular mission patch commemorates STS-61-A, flown by Space Shuttle Challenger in October 1985-the first U.S. mission with eight astronauts, including three payload specialists from West Germany. The artwork depicts Challenger launching upward with a satellite being deployed via robotic arm, set against a starry sky and Earth’s curved horizon. The red border lists the crew names and “APT” (for the German Aerospace Center’s DLR and ESA partnership).

Used on NASA mission pages, space history archives, educational sites, and museum exhibits to represent STS-61-A; matches user intent for learning about historic shuttle missions, international space cooperation, or collecting space memorabilia.