Skylab Rescue: The Patch That Started It All.

This 4.5" embroidered emblem marks a historic moment — and the very first mission patch ever designed by Tim Gagnon. Created during the Skylab 2 increment when a Service Module RCS leak forced NASA to prepare a rescue mission, the design was originally submitted to astronaut Vance Brand, who kept Tim’s drawings safe for decades before returning them as a birthday gift. Now re‑imagined in full embroidery, it stands as both a tribute to Skylab and a milestone in Gagnon’s career.

Skylab itself was America’s first space station, built from Apollo hardware and launched atop the Saturn V. Across three crews, astronauts lived and worked in orbit for 28, 59, and 84 days, proving humans could perform complex repairs, operate a large orbital workshop, and thrive on long‑duration missions. Skylab traveled 70.5 million miles, completed 2,476 manned orbits (and 24,181 total), and paved the way for every permanent station that followed — Mir, ISS, and the future habitats of the Artemis era.

A meaningful patch for collectors: part rescue heritage, part personal history, and part celebration of the moment America learned to live in space.

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