Also in my collection are a vast array of mission patches, exactly like those worn by the astronauts on their missions or by ground crews (as well as other official emblems). Above is a small sample of some of the more recent missions. I try to obtain the patches made by the same manufacturer as the real ones worn in space; for most of the Shuttle program that has been AB Emblem but before the Shuttle and for the first few STS flights, there was no one official supplier to NASA (Lions Brothers was seen on many Apollo flights, among other companies).        Mission patches have been worn on every American flight since Gemini 5 and the tradition continues today; every mission has a unique piece of artwork.        Also in my collection are several authentic Russian mission patches, mainly supplied by Alex Panchenko. The collection continues today as I seek out every new patch as well as additional patches from past missions. Currently, I have at least one patch from every American spaceflight since the first (souvenir versions were made for flights before Gemini 5), including all the official AB Emblem mission patches.