Award patches?

The place where campers hang out after a long day in the sims.

Moderator: Vincent

User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Award patches?

Post by p51 »

I'm curious, why do the week-long programs get patches for the team awards but the adult programs never do? The adult groups get a small shuttle stack pin (the same one you can buy in the gift shop) for an award. :roll: Not even remotely as 'cool' as this:
Image
I have a 'mission patch' award patch, but I got it from someone after the fact and not from SC. They rarely ever turn up on eBay, I suppose for pretty obvious reasons.
I also know for sure that they have made new logo awards patches, so why can't they use up the current logo stuff by awarding them to the adult program people, too?
It just seems wrong in a self-centered kind of way that I've designed two camp winning mission patch designs and I had to find my mission patch award patch second-hand...
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Re: Award patches?

Post by Hotdog »

I prefer the pins over the patches. How many "Space Camp" patches can you sew onto your flightsuit? The pins may not be the best solution, but they are a little bit better way to showcase your awards on your uniform, in my opinion. If my teams had been given patches for Best Mission, Best Mission Patch, and Spacebowl then I would have a total of 5 round Space Camp patches on my flightsuit that looked nearly identical until you saw them close-up. Perhaps Space Camp should explore different solutions for awards, either in a patch, pin or some other form.
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by p51 »

Hotdog wrote:I prefer the pins over the patches. How many "Space Camp" patches can you sew onto your flightsuit? The pins may not be the best solution, but they are a little bit better way to showcase your awards on your uniform, in my opinion. If my teams had been given patches for Best Mission, Best Mission Patch, and Spacebowl then I would have a total of 5 round Space Camp patches on my flightsuit that looked nearly identical until you saw them close-up. Perhaps Space Camp should explore different solutions for awards, either in a patch, pin or some other form.
How about the option to choose either? I mean, they go down the line of people on the team handing the things out, they could tell you that you have the choice of a pin or a patch. That'd be especially good in the case of people who value one award over another when the team won more than one. For example, I was very proud of my teams winning best mission patch twice because I personally designed and drew said winning designs. Someone who's team won, say, best mission might not value that award nearly as much when they were in the ISS at the time, so a pin would be better for them.
Let 'em decide. Beats me why they couldn't do that.
The stack pins are, in my mind, a little cheesy mostly because you can buy the very same ones at the gift shop. It's a letdown for people who think they earned it just to find they could have just bought one instead if they'd wanted. I've seen that exact reaction twice from people in person.
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
User avatar
Vincent
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1167
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2001 12:55 pm
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by Vincent »

p51 wrote:How about the option to choose either?
Seems to me like that would allow for a break in team unity!
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Re: Award patches?

Post by Hotdog »

So the real issue is the pins are available to anyone in the gift shop. So the solution might be to create a pin that is exclusive to the award being given. No choosing what style of award you get, you get a pin, a pin of some kind that says "Best Mission" or "Best Mission Patch" or whatever that cannot be purchased elsewhere. At one time, Spacebowl winners got a "Spacebowl Champions" t-shirt which was really cool. If we had to go with a patch solution for awards, then make the patches very small "merit badge" type additions for the flightsuit uniform and not large 4-inch re-hashes of the existing Space Camp logo. I think we can all agree there is some room for improvement in this area, be the solution pin or patch or otherwise.
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
Saint
Counselor
Counselor
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:05 am
Location: Huntsville
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by Saint »

They're not stack pins anymore. We've recently switched to Orion capsules.
Stephan, call sign: "Fabric"

SC/SA/AA Crew Trainer '13, '14, '15, '16, '17
AC Instructor '16, '17

"All in a day's work!"
SpaceCanada
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 2125
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:07 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Award patches?

Post by SpaceCanada »

I sew my patches onto my Girl Guide camp blanket... weird perhaps from a space fanatic perspective, and it 'ruins' some of my collectibles because I sewed them onto something, but I love my patch collection and want to share it with others (girls at camp, mostly). I can always take them off my blanket and sew them onto a flight suit if I ever want to change things up.

I prefer patches over pins, but neither are necessary. Nice, yes, but I know in my heart what I've accomplished and share in the joy of others' achievements as well.
- Jennifer -
Youth ASA 6-Day 1998 1999
Adult ASA 8-Day 2004; Alumni 2007, CSC 2013, 2015, 2017
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by p51 »

Saint wrote:They're not stack pins anymore. We've recently switched to Orion capsules.
Any chance to see what these new pins look like?
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Saint
Counselor
Counselor
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:05 am
Location: Huntsville
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by Saint »

Ask and ye shall receive.
Attachments
2014-02-25 18.31.03.jpg
2014-02-25 18.31.03.jpg (200.08 KiB) Viewed 11196 times
Stephan, call sign: "Fabric"

SC/SA/AA Crew Trainer '13, '14, '15, '16, '17
AC Instructor '16, '17

"All in a day's work!"
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by p51 »

Nice!
Thanks for posting that. I like how that looks.
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Dyna-Soar
Camper
Camper
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:53 am

Re: Award patches?

Post by Dyna-Soar »

Similar to the old shuttle pins, I've seen these as well.
Attachments
SLSpin.jpg
SLSpin.jpg (85.44 KiB) Viewed 11186 times
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Re: Award patches?

Post by Hotdog »

How do we know it's an Orion capsule and not an Apollo capsule? Playing devil's advocate on the pin design here....
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
Dyna-Soar
Camper
Camper
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:53 am

Re: Award patches?

Post by Dyna-Soar »

The hatch and window arrangement seem to indicate an Orion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Orion ... ersion.jpg
nitelife222
Junior Camper
Junior Camper
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:11 pm

Re: Award patches?

Post by nitelife222 »

I think a "rocker" patch would be a good idea..
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by p51 »

nitelife222 wrote:I think a "rocker" patch would be a good idea..
Not a bad idea, but not really indicative of NASA culture. That's more of a military thing (would be great for aviation challenge, though).
A friend of mine at Houston told me a joke about NASA once:
Q: How many NASA people does it take screw in a light bulb?
A: Just one, but an entire team is needed to design the patch for it.
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
nitelife222
Junior Camper
Junior Camper
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:11 pm

Re: Award patches?

Post by nitelife222 »

Yeah, you're right. Just thinking out loud. The three little stars on the Space Camp patch. What about different colored star pins that would be placed over them?
Saint
Counselor
Counselor
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:05 am
Location: Huntsville
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by Saint »

Dyna-Soar wrote:Similar to the old shuttle pins, I've seen these as well.
Those are special: not given by SC. They're from one of the SLS contractors. They gave them out as swag one week this summer.

nitelife222 wrote:I think a "rocker" patch would be a good idea..

Ideally, I'd like to see something similar to the Mach 25 or 100 Days patch. That seems NASAesqe. But we're the adults wanting to tie everything together. Most of the children trainees that win an award are thrilled, whether it's a pin or patch.

Now if only they'd listen to us adults! Ha!

Oh, as a side note, saw one of the new award patches today. Totally forgot to snap a picture.
Stephan, call sign: "Fabric"

SC/SA/AA Crew Trainer '13, '14, '15, '16, '17
AC Instructor '16, '17

"All in a day's work!"
User avatar
Steve
Pathfinder
Pathfinder
Posts: 214
Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:48 pm
Location: Murfreesboro Tennessee (83 miles from Space Camp)

Re: Award patches?

Post by Steve »

Saint wrote:
Dyna-Soar wrote:Similar to the old shuttle pins, I've seen these as well.
Those are special: not given by SC. They're from one of the SLS contractors. They gave them out as swag one week this summer.

nitelife222 wrote:I think a "rocker" patch would be a good idea..

Ideally, I'd like to see something similar to the Mach 25 or 100 Days patch. That seems NASAesqe. But we're the adults wanting to tie everything together. Most of the children trainees that win an award are thrilled, whether it's a pin or patch.

Now if only they'd listen to us adults! Ha!

Oh, as a side note, saw one of the new award patches today. Totally forgot to snap a picture.
Thanks for the update, If you get a chance & see those patches again, love see to one. I know when all get excited, sometimes we all forgot. Again thanks for taking the time for your update.
Adult Space Academy 2012 Team Columbia
Adult Space Academy 2013 Team Discovery
Adult Space Academy 2014 Team Discovery
Adult Space Academy with Astronaut 2015 Team Discovery
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Volunteer at US Space & Rocket Center
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Re: Award patches?

Post by Hotdog »

This was posted on Space Camp social media today:
Image
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Re: Award patches?

Post by p51 »

Funny, those are the ones I saw in those boxes in the HAB in September. I can't believe it took that long for them to start awarding them.
I assume that adult program groups still won't be getting them?
The funny thing is that the ward patches hardly ever turn up on eBay. The only one I have is a mission patch award one from way back, and that was given to me by someone on this forum (I think it was PK, I didn't write it down, darn it).
I'd love to get my mitts on one of the new mission patch award ones someday.

Most odd of all, I don't understand why there are still no new logo patches for sale in the gift shop, but that's a totally different subject... :?
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Post Reply