Artemis II crew flew fast, earned new patch: Astronauts' Mach 39 emblem
Summary
NASA’s Artemis II astronauts traveled faster than almost anyone in history, reaching nearly 24,664 mph during their return from a Moon flyby. To honor this speed, NASA created a new "Mach 39" patch representing their record velocity, replacing the older "Mach 25" design used for space shuttle crews.Key Facts
- Artemis II crew included Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
- They flew 52,756 miles away from Earth, farther than any humans have traveled before.
- Their spacecraft, Orion Integrity, reentered Earth’s atmosphere at about 24,664 mph (Mach 39).
- Only three astronauts from Apollo 10 reached a slightly higher speed of 24,791 mph in 1969.
- Mach speed measures how fast something travels compared to the speed of sound, and it changes with altitude and air conditions.
- The new “Mach 39” patch was created and worn by the Artemis II crew, succeeding the old “Mach 25” patch originally designed for the space shuttle era.
- The “Mach 25” patch idea came from former astronauts Dan Brandenstein and Jim Buchli, inspired by military pilot patches for breaking speed records.
- The patch was produced by A-B Emblem in North Carolina and debuted publicly in early June 2024.
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