a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities. Mission insignia The STS-129 mission patch was designed by Tim Gagnon and Dr. Jorge Cartes. The rather unusual shape of the patch resulted from the crew's desire for the patch to signify the mission's payload (two ExPRESS Logistics Carriers) providing equipment ensuring the longevity of the ISS. The insignia incorporates a number of design elements not typically incorporated into a single patch: the Sun, Moon, Mars, NASA's astronaut symbol (ascending on red, white and blue stripes symbolizing the all-U.S. crew), the ISS, the Shuttle orbiter and the continental United States (representing the major U.S. centers supporting the Space Shuttle Program). The 13 stars on the patch represent the crewmembers' children, and the Moon and Mars represent the future of space exploration. The names of the crew members are denoted on the outer band of the patch. See also 2009 in spaceflight List of human spaceflights List of International Space Station spacewalks List of Space Shuttle missions List of spacewalks 2000–2014 List of African-American astronauts References External links Press Kit STS-129 real time tracking NASA's Space Shuttle page STS-129 Mission Information Space Shuttle missions Spacecraft launched in 2009 Spacecraft which reentered in 2009 Articles containing video clips November 2009 events 2009 in Florida