Apollo 11 Mission Patch

Apollo 11 Mission Patch

Command Module pilot, Michael Collins designed this most famous of mission patches with the help of his crewmates Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They wanted the design to symbolise a peaceful lunar landing by the United States. Not including their names on the design was done to show that they represented everyone who worked towards the historic mission.

Jim Lovell, the backup Commander for the mission, suggested an eagle to represent the United States. Collins looked in National Geographic magazines to find the perfect bald eagle for the design – with its legs outstretched, coming in to land. To this he added the lunar horizon and a small Earth in the background. Collins realised too late that he had made the mistake of showing sunshine illuminating the Earth from the wrong direction. The top half of the Earth should have been lit up, not the right hand side as can be seen on the patch!

Apollo simulator instructor, Tom Wilson, suggested the olive branch as a symbol of a peaceful expedition. In the original design the eagle held the olive branch in its beak, with talons extended. However, this design was rejected as the eagle appeared to be swooping down on the Moon in a hostile manner. Transferring the olive branch to the eagle’s talons fixed this, making it look more peaceful.

Web resources

• A History of Crew Patches