ASTRONAUT TRIES TO "KLINGON-UP" THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. ALAS, NO Q'UPLA!

From collectspace.com here's a very cool story from the ISS:

Unused Klingon-inspired ISS mission patch design (NASA)

June 6,  2014 – In a mirror universe right now,  an alternate Steve Swanson is wearing a space patch bearing the logo of the fictional Klingon Empire. In our reality, though, NASA jettisoned the astronaut's "Star Trek" inspired emblem before it could reach space. Swanson,  who currently is commander of the International Space Station, collaborated with his daughter to create an insignia for the outpost's Expedition 40 crew. What he and his fellow astronauts and cosmonauts ultimately launched with to the space station was a patch depicting the "past, present, and future of human space exploration." What Swanson had first proposed however, was a badge of a decidedly different type. "He wanted something that was kind of badass," revealed Mary Swanson, Steve's wife,  in a call with collectSPACE, "and Klingons are kind of badass."

Actual mission patch sans-Klingon logo (NASA)

Swanson and his daughter, a computer science major who began her studies in graphic design,  modified the Klingon patch, replacing its image of a sword-like weapon called a "Bat'leth" with a similarly-shaped icon depicting the space station. A Klingon language inscription along the border of the original emblem was supplanted by the Swansons with the names of the six-person Expedition 40 crew.

His Klingon patch was grounded,  but as it turns out,  Steve Swanson still found a way to fly the Klingon trefoil logo in space. Posting where no astronaut had posted before, Swanson inaugurated the on-orbit use of the space station's official Instagram account. In April, he shared a few selfies on the photo-sharing social network. His second shot showed him having blood drawn for study but it wasn't the science experiment that drew attention to the photo. Swanson is seen wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a certain three-pointed emblem, a cloaked reference to the patch that almost was.

Astronaut Steve Swanson's sports the Klingon logo (NASA)

 Thanks to Spacecollect.com!

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