STS-50 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, crew insignia (logo), the official insignia of the NASA STS-50 United States Microgravity Laboratory 1 (USML-1) mission, captures a Space Shuttle traveling above Earth while trailing the USML banner. The orbiter is oriented vertically in a typical attitude for microgravity science and in this position represents the numeral 1 in the mission's abbreviated title. This flight represents the first in a series of USML flights on which the primary objective is microgravity science, planned and executed through the combined efforts of America's government, industry and academia. Visible in the payload bay (PLB) are the Spacelab module, and the extended duration orbiter (EDO) ''cryo'' pallet which will be making its first flight. The small g and Greek letter mu on the Spacelab module symbolize the microgravity environment being used for research in the areas of materials science and fluid physics. The large block U extends outside the patch perimeter, symbolizing the potential for the experiments on this flight to expand the current boundaries of knowledge in microgravity science. The Stars and Stripes of the USML block letters and the U.S. landmass in the Earth scene below reflect the crew's pride in the U.S. origin of all onboard experiments. The STS-50 flight crewmembers are Commander Richard N. Richards, Pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, Mission Specialist (MS) and Payload Commander (PLC) Bonnie J. Dunbar, MS Ellen S. Baker, MS Carl J. Meade, Payload Specialist Lawrence J. DeLucas, and Payload Specialist Eugene H. Trinh. Each crewmember contributed to the design of the insignia.
