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Astronauts share space through souvenirs (STS-124 OFK)
June 4, 2008 — Armstrong and Buzz are in space again, though they aren't the Apollo astronauts who made history walking on the Moon.
Rather, cyclist Lance Armstrong and 'space ranger' Buzz Lightyear are sharing space aboard shuttle Discovery, now docked to the International Space Station. And they are not alone; joining them for the 14-day mission are retired Houston Astros' player Craig Biggio and New York Giants' quarterback Eli Manning.
Of course, none of the individuals (and fictional character) are themselves in space, but the crew of STS-124 chose to take items representing each of them aboard the orbiter.
"Well, he's this super human" said astronaut Karen Nyberg of Lance Armstrong during an interview with collectSPACE before she launched. "I just love his athletic abilities. I am taking one of his [Tour de France] yellow jerseys."
Similarly, Manning's back-up Super Bowl XLII jersey and Biggio's last game-worn jersey have places in the orbiting locker room. Four of the crew members hail from the New York/New Jersey area, home to Manning's Giants, and all live, train and take instruction while in space from mission control in Houston, south of the Astros' Minute Maid Park.
Lightyear, or a 12-inch action figure-version of the Disney and Pixar "Toy Story" spaceman, will "fly" from Discovery to the space station for a six month stay, kicking off an educational partnership between NASA and the house that Walt built.
The stowaways are part of the crew's "personal preference kits" (PPKs), small pouches that hold mementos and not just for celebrities. A majority of the souvenirs are for their friends and family.
"Ryan, he has this little bullet that he used to carry around since he was a little kid. I know that sounds terrible but it's a spent rifle bullet and it just means something to him. I don't know why. So, we're flying that," pilot Ken Ham told collectSPACE about one of his two son's items. "And then Randy, he's a big Green Bay Packers fan, so he's got this Brett Favre thing."
Spacewalker Mike Fossum also took items for his boys.
"My second son John is 17, and he's finishing up his [Boy Scouts'] Eagle and I brought up on my first flight his Eagle badge but [on this flight, I have his] pin that will be pinned onto him during his Eagle ceremony. I flew my older son's [pin] on my first flight, he's already earned his. This time I am flying him a larger Eagle patch that he can have made properly framed and display in his office some day," said Fossum, who serves as a Scoutmaster of a Houston local Boy Scouts troop.
Greg Chamitoff, who joined the ISS's Expedition 17 crew after docking, is the second crewmen of Jewish descent to live aboard the station (the first, Garrett Reisman, will return to Earth with Discovery). He brought with him a pair of mezuzot as gifts for a former teacher and a friend. The encased, prayer-inscribed parchment customarily placed on the door frames of Jewish homes were designed by an Israeli artist who was inspired by space exploration. "I will install them [on the door of my sleep area], take pictures and then put them away," said Chamitoff.
The PPKs can also include small items for the astronauts themselves.
Nyberg brought a few pieces of fabric with her to knit into a quilt after the flight. "My mom taught me to sew when I was six. So I grew sewing, making my own clothes," she said.
Beyond their personal kits, the astronauts could also pack items for organizations in their mission's Official Flight Kit (OFK), a larger stash of official presentation items. In the STS-124 OFK there is a patch for Jet Blue Airlines; World Series pins for both the White Sox and Astros teams; and ocean water for the U.S. Merchant Marine Booster Club in Kings Point, NY.
Ham has a microphone stand for ESPN. Spacewalker Ron Garan has a silver coin for the Manna Energy Foundation, which he founded to combat poverty. Fossum flew a flag for his alma mater, Texas A&M University, continuing his display of Aggie pride that he started during his first flight.
Nyberg, as the University of North Dakota's first alumna to fly in space, took a flag and a certificate for the school, as well as a compact disc. "The School of Engineering has sent a disc that has the names of all the students, faculty and staff since I think 1897, whenever the school started."
The mission's primary payload, the Japanese pressurized module, the primary component of the three-part Kibo lab and the longest component to be added to the outpost, is represented on the crew by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist Aki Hoshide. He chose items for several schools in Japan as well as a package of Zelkova Serrata tree seeds for the government of Tokyo.
"We are [flying] a Japanese flag, but the Kibo itself is the commemorative item, I think," said Hoshide. |
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Examples of patches, pins and more on shuttle Discovery. (cS) |
The STS-124 Official Flight Kit Manifest
The following is the STS-124 Official Flight Kit manifest, as provided by NASA. Inventory numbers that are missing indicate items that were removed prior to launch.
No.
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Description
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Sponsor/Purpose
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1.
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625 STS-124 crew patches
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75 Expedition 16 patches
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Agency Presentation
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2.
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600 Small United States Flags
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Agency Presentation
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3.
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4 Sets U.S. States & Territories Flags
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Agency Presentation
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4.
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4 Sets United Nations Members Flags
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Agency Presentation
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5.
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20 Small Texas Flags
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5 Small NASA Flags
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5 Small POW/MIA Flags
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5 NASA Patches
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5 Texas Lapel Pins
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5 U.S./Japan Lapel Pins
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1 Bronze NASA Seal Medallion
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1 Silver Shuttle Pendant
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6 Small JSC Medallions
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Agency Presentation
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6.
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10 Small Flags of the Following States:
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Arizona
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South Dakota
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Minnesota
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Massachusetts
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Agency Presentation
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7.
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5 Small Flags of the Following States:
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New Jersey
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Maine
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Idaho
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Wyoming
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California
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Texas
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New York
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Nevada
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North Dakota
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Agency Presentation
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8.
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Small International Flags:
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30 Japan
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10 Russia
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5 Australia
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5 Canada
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3 Vatican
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3 Singapore
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Agency Presentation
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9.
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20 Each Small Military Flags:
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U.S. Air Force
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U.S. Army
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U.S. Coast Guard
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U.S. Marine Corps
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U.S. Navy
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Agency Presentation
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10.
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10 Small United States Flags
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10 Small Alabama State Flags
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Marshall Space Flight Center Presentation
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11.
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10 Small Louisiana State Flags
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10 Small Mississippi State Flags
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5 Small NASA Flags
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5 Small United States Flags
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Stennis Space Center Presentation
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12.
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2 Small United States Flags
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2 Small Florida State Flags
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10 Small KSC Coins
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Kennedy Space Center Presentation
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13.
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100 Silver Snoopy Pins
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Space Flight Awareness Presentation
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14.
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25 EVA Patches
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Agency Presentation
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15.
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10 STS-124 Crew Patches
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20 Small U.S. flags
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10 DoD Space Test Program Patches
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2 USAF E-7 Chevrons
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1 STS-124 Kibo JEM PM & JEM RMS Patch
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10 Space Development & Test Wing Coins
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DoD Presentation
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16.
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15 STS-124 Crew Patches
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United Space Alliance Presentation
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17.
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5 3" 2007 Constellation Ornaments
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Constellation Program Office Presentation
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18.
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50 Small SPACE CAMP Flags
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U.S. Space & Rocket Center Presentation
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19.
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3" Metal National Science Foundation Marker
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3" U.S. Antarctic Program Patch
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Agency Presentation
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20.
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H.M.S. Hood Cloth Badge
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Agency Presentation
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21.
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4"x5" Portrait Photocopy
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Agency Presentation
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Items 22 through 95 are manifested at the request of the STS-124 crewmembers.
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22.
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2"x1" Plain Gold Bar
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U.S. Merchant Marine Alumni Assoc., Kings Point, NY
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23.
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2"x1" Plain Gold Bar
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United States Merchant Marine Regiment, Kings Point, NY
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24.
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4"x1.5" Clear Container of Ocean Water
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United States Merchant Marine Booster Club, Kings Point, NY
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25.
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Embroidered Patch
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USS Midway, San Diego, CA
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26.
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Embroidered Patch
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A-6 Intruder Ready Room Association, Washington, DC
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27.
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5"x5" Mounted Solar Cells
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University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
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28.
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Small Dark Brown Wooden Turtle
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University of Maryland, College Park, MD
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29.
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Small Light Brown Wooden Turtle
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University of Maryland Alumni Association, College Park, MD
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30.
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Black School T-Shirt
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Empire High School, Tucson, AZ
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31.
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Thin Metal Plate
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Rede, Inc., New Orleans, LA
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32.
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4.5"x1.5" Microphone Stand
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ESPN, New York, NY
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33.
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World Series Astros Pin
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Houston Astros Baseball Team, Houston, TX
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34.
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Pink Ribbon Patch
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Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Houston, TX
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35.
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Lapel Pin
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Susan G. Kormen Foundation, Houston, TX
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36.
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Miniature Compass in Circular Container
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Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
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37.
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Blue Patch
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Jet Blue Airways, New York, NY
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38.
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Chicago White Sox World Series Pin
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Chicago White Sox Baseball Team, Chicago, IL
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39.
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Beach Sand in Clear Vile
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Matangi Island, Matangi, Fiji
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40.
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3'x5' Blue Banner
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Arthur L. Johnson High School, Clark NJ
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41.
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3'x22" Yellow Banner
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United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
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42.
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8.5"x11" Certificate
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University of North Dakota Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Grand Forks, ND
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43.
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Compact Disc
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University of North Dakota School of Engineering, Grand Forks, ND
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44.
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3'x5' White Flag
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University of North Dakota Alumni Association, Grand Forks, ND
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45.
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9"x4" Felt Pennant
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University of Texas Department of Biomedical Engineering, Austin, TX
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46.
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3'x5' U.S. Flag
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City of Vining, Vining, MN
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47.
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9"x5.5" Rwandan Flag
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Engineers Without Borders, Longmont, CO
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48.
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10"x4" Multi-Colored Felt Pennant
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Arizona Project Challenge, Queen Creek, AZ
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49.
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9"x4" Felt Pennant
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State University of New York, Oneonta, NY
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50.
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4"x6" Ireland Flag with Signatures
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Glencastle National School, Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland
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51.
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5"x7" Canvas Flag
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Mount Carmel High School, Houston, TX
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52.
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8"x5.5" Decal
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Roosevelt High School, Houston, TX
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53.
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Black and Grey Patch
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United States Air Force Weapons School, Las Vegas, NV
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54.
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Black and White Patch
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City of Yonkers, Yonkers, NY
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55.
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STS-124 Silver Medallion
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St. Paul's Catholic Church, Nassau Bay, TX
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56.
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STS-124 Silver Medallion
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Manna Energy Foundation, Houston, TX
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57.
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3'x5' University Flag
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Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
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58.
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6"x2.5" Sash
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Colonneh Lodge, Houston, TX
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59.
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Gold Medallion
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312th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH
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60.
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Slide Ruler
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Texas A&M University College of Engineering, College Station, TX
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61.
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Boy Scouts of America Patch
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BSA Order of the Arrow National Lodge, Houston, TX
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62.
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Boy Scouts of America Patch
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National Eagle Scout Association, Houston, TX
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63.
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Silver Air Force Wings
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Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX
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64.
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3'x5' U.S. Flag
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Creech Air Force Base, Indian Springs, NV
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65.
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21" Bolo Tie
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Lakota Native American Indian Tribe, Sioux Falls, SD
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66.
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3'x2' Texas Flag
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City of McAllen, McAllen, TX
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67.
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27"x15" Japanese Painting
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Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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68.
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7.5"x4" Abacus
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Keio University Department of Engineering, Tokyo, Japan
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69.
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21"x14" Blue and Red Flag
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Keio University Alumni Association, Tokyo, Japan
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70.
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8.5"x11" Laminated Picture
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Futakotamagawa Elementary School, Tokyo, Japan
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71.
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4.5"x11" White Flag
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Maeikei Gakuen Junior High School and High School, Tsukuba, Japan
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72.
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White Polo Shirt
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United World College of South East Asia, Singapore
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73.
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34"x14" White Banner
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Japan National Committee on United World Colleges, Tokyo, Japan
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74.
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Red Rugby Jersey
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Japan Rugby Football Union, Tokyo, Japan
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75.
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Package of Zelkova Serrata Seeds
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo, Japan
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76.
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Kibo Patch
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, Japan
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77.
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1.5"x1.5" Mounted Tuning Fork
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Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, MA
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78.
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3'x5' Brown and Navy Banner
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California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
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79.
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Blue T-Shirt
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Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
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80.
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3'x5' Boy Scout Troop #1190 Flag
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Scout Troup #1190, Houston, TX
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81.
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35.5"x34" Tropical Print Scarf
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Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia
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82.
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University Patch
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The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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83.
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Expedition 17 Silver Medallion
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University of Houston Clear Lake Space Science Department, Houston, TX
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84.
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Expedition 17 Medallion
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California Polytechnic State University Math Department, San Luis Obispo, CA
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85.
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Expedition 17 Medallion
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Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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86.
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Expedition 17 Medallion
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United Space Alliance, Houston, TX
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87.
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Gold Navy Wings
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Agency Presentation
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88.
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Gold Navy Wings
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Agency Presentation
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89.
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Silver Air Force Wings
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Agency Presentation
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90.
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Gold Astronaut Pin
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Agency Presentation
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91.
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Gold Astronaut Pin
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Agency Presentation
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92.
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Gold Astronaut Pin
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Agency Presentation
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93.
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Gold Astronaut Pin
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Agency Presentation
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94.
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Gold Astronaut Pin
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Agency Presentation
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95.
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Gold Astronaut Pin
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Agency Presentation
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Items 96 through 101 are manifested at the request of the STS-124 payload customers.
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96.
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100 JAXA STS-124/IJ Patches
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100 JAXA STS-124/IJ Pins w/o needle
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100 Japan Flags
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100 Kibo Logo Flags
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100 JAXA Flags
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100 Kibo Character Decals
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JAXA Presentation
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97.
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40 BCAT Stickers
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International Space Station Presentation
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98.
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50 OZ Payload Office Patches
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International Space Station Presentation
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99.
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50 Increment 17 Pins
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International Space Station Presentation
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101.
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75 STS-124 Crew Patches
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300 Sheets SSP Bookmarks
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20 STS-124 Pins
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SSP Presentation
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