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A Partnership since the 1960s
Our founder, Henry Conrad, worked with NASA in their early days to develop the first space program patch, aka “the Meatball.” The partnership continues to this day. A-B Emblem is the exclusive supplier to the NASA Astronauts Office, with our emblems traveling into space on every mission since Apollo.
Exclusive Supplier
A-B Emblem is the exclusive supplier of mission patches to the NASA Astronauts Office. We began on February 24, 1970, and hold the contract today. As a result, we make every mission and expedition patch sold to NASA and that flies in space.
NASA Patches from A-B Emblem
We make the official NASA Mission Patches for the astronauts in Weaverville, North Carolina, USA, and always will.
T-38s to Asheville
Pre-computer era, the commander of the mission would often fly in a T-38 to the Asheville airport. They would then visit our factory in Weaverville to help A-B’s designers translate their design into a mission patch using needle and thread.
The Mission Commander directs the patch design
Today, the mission commander still directs the design of their mission patch, but with email and digital files. They no longer need to physically fly to Asheville. To that end, we stitch and send actual samples for the final approvals.
Aerospace & Defense patches
With a long history supplying patches and insignia to the US Military and NASA, A-B Emblem has carved out a niche with Aerospace & Defense organizations for supplying custom patches.
If there’s a mission or a program, we can supply the patches with a high degree of accuracy, quality, speed, and fair pricing. Our options for manufacturing include the USA, North America, and Offshore. Get started today!
Private Sector Space
We make emblems for a variety of amazing companies involved in the space exploration industry. Including, but not limited to Virgin Galactic and Space-X. So, if you are with a private space company, we would love to help you make your own mission patches. Please contact us at 888-797-4285 or email [email protected] to learn more.
Retail Versions of NASA Patches
We own and operate factories in North Carolina, Mexico, and China. So, depending on our production scheduling and workload, we direct patch production to where it fits best. Regardless, we use the same digital patterns and raw materials in all locations.
Looking to buy NASA Patches for your personal collection?
Then, please visit our Space Patches store! We also partner with select space retailers including Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and several of the NASA Exchanges.
Looking for Vintage NASA Patches?
A-B Emblem owns a cache of original Schiffli machine patches made in the USA at our Weaverville, North Carolina factory during the 1980s and 90s. We call them the New Old Stock (NOS) Collection. You can shop for these patches in our Space Store!
