NASA Space Shuttle Discovery STS-41 (Ulysses) Mission Embroidered Patch

 (Dimensions Approx. 100 mm - 4" diameter).

Mission Insignia - The STS-41 insignia by the five astronaut crewmembers, depicts the space shuttle orbiting Earth after deployment of its primary payload -- the Ulysses satellite. The orbiter is shown passing over the south-eastern United States, representative of its 28-degree inclination orbit. Ulysses, the Solar Exploration Satellite, will be the fastest man-made object in the universe, travelling at 30 miles per second (over 100,000 mph) and is represented by the streaking silver teardrop passing over the sun. Ulysses' path is depicted by the bright red spiral originating from the Shuttle cargo bay. The path will extend around Jupiter where Ulysses will receive a gravitational direction change that will put it in a polar trajectory around the sun. The three-legged trajectory, extending out the payload bay, is symbolic of the astronaut logo and is in honour of those who have given their lives in the conquest of space. The five stars; four gold: and one silver, represent STS-41 and each of its crewmembers.

Mission Summary

Mission: Ulysses; SSBUV; ISAC

Space Shuttle: Discovery

Launch Pad: 39B

Launch Weight: 259,593 pounds

Launched: Oct. 6, 1990, 7:47:15 a.m. EDT

Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Landing: Oct. 10, 1990, 6:57:19 a.m. PDT

Landing Weight: 196,869 pounds

Runway: 22

Rollout Distance: 8,532 feet

Rollout Time: 49 seconds

Revolution: 66

Mission Duration: 4 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes, 4 seconds

Returned to KSC: Oct. 16, 1990

Orbit Altitude: 160 nautical miles

Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees

Miles Travelled: 1.7 million