Expedition 56 Patch
The Expedition 56 astronaut crew will continue the international collaborative work that has been evolving on the International Space Station during hte past 17 years. The expedition comes at a time when private corporations and the governments around the world are rapidly developing crew capabilities for human space exploration. Together, with the experience and continued research on the orbiting laboratory, humans will soon establish a new presence in space beyond low-Earth orbit that will enable us to travel farther into space than ever before. The Expedition 56 patch portrays a dove carrying an olive branch on its beak. The patch includes images of the Soyuz launch vehicle for the crew and the space station. The Expedition 56 astronauts' names are displayed on the dove's wings and along the limb of Earth at the base of the patch. The dove's tail is firmly planted on Earth to represent the strong link between our home planet and the humans who are sent into the cosmos.The patch illustrates our hope for peace and love in the world, and the innate human desire to spread our wings and explore into the future, building on the wisdom of the past, for the betterment of humanity. The patch was designed by astronaut Drew Feustel's son.