Gemini 5

According to David Shayler, Pete Conrad’s father-in-law Winn DuBose had whittled a model of a covered wagon that inspired the theme for the patch.

Deke Slayton recalls, “Gordo and Pete were still trying to find a way to individualize their spacecraft. Gus and John had managed to name GT-3; Jim and Ed had worn the American flag on GT-4. Pete hit on the idea of a patch, the kind of thing every Navy air squadron has. It showed a Conestoga wagon with the slogan, “Eight Days or Bust.” When [NASA administrator] Jim Webb saw that, however, he had a fit. He didn’t want the motto, for one thing, and decided upon a whole set of guidelines for what he called “Cooper patches” that each crew commander could design and wear.” (See the memo Webb sent to Deke Slayton.)

One of the conditions imposed by Webb was that the “8 Days or Bust” motto be removed — partly out of concern that the press would surely declare the mission was a “bust” if it didn’t last the full 8 days, and partly from fear that “bust” could have an unfortunate mistranslation in the foreign press. Since the launch was just days away, the crew didn’t have time to get new patches made, so suit technicians sewed a bit of cloth over the motto. According to Cooper in his autobiographical Leap of Faith, when they landed “we were 104 minutes short of eight days, but uncovered the ‘8 Days or Bust’ slogan on our patches anyway.” Photos of the crew on the recovery ship belie this claim.

The birthing of this very first American space crew patch was not without a fair bit of Sturm und Drang, as alluded to by Slayton. For a more detail on this, refer to the History of Patches page.

[ge05-aw1]
This is the original artwork for the Gemini 5 patch, produced by artists at Gemini spacecraft builder McDonnell Corporation. My thanks to Anthony Tharenos, who worked in the McDonnell art department, for this image.

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This embroidered patch was probably procured by the McDonnell Corporation for the Gemini 5 crew. Examination of the details of this patch shows that it is from the same batch as the one in NASA photo S66-59530, but not in the distressed state of that patch, and without the motto covered. Again, thanks to Anthony Tharenos for this image.

[ge05-em1]
NASA photo S66-59530
This is NASA’s “official” image of the Gemini 5 patch. Despite the photo ID, according to the photo caption this was taken in August 1965. This is almost certainly the patch worn by Cooper, as it looks identical to that patch as seen in NASA photo S65-51442 (see below) — including the puckers and wrinkles.

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This patch, which is one that is claimed to have been flown on the Gemini 5 mission, is markedly different from the patches worn by the crew. The lettering is much larger, and “GEMINI 5” interrupts the inner circular line. There are also differences in color, notably in the wagon wheels (see the detail of Conrad’s patch, below).

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A reproduction embroidered Gemini 5 patch by Randy Wagner, showing the “8 Days or Bust” slogan that caused such an uproar. Except for the canopy on the wagon (and the slogan, of course), this reproduction is much more like the patch Conrad wore than the purportedly flown patch [ge05-em-v3] pictured above.
100mm dia

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A 2006 remake by Randy Hunt. The lettering is too large, there is an odd “tuck” in the right side of the canopy, the inner black ring touches the canopy, and there is too much space between the black rings. The canopy is embroidered, and in the two middle sections the stitching is at a right angle to the end sections, which makes it look like two different colors are used; in reality they are the same, it is just the lighting that makes it look so.
102mm dia

[ge05-em6]
The AB Emblem 2010 remake of the Gemini 5 patch. Perhaps the most amazing feature of this recreation is that AB Emblem actually embroidered the “8 Days or Bust” motto on the wagon canopy, and then covered it over with a bit of cloth — just like the actual flown patches.
108mm dia

[ge05-em7]
A very nice replica by Liem Bahneman of the “souvenir” version of the patch, ge05-em3.
100mm dia

NASA photo 65AC-633
Suit technician Clyde Teague showing the patch sewn onto Cooper’s pressure suit. Since the motto is covered, this is presumably just a day or so before launch.

Detail from NASA photo 65AC-633, showing the patch.

NASA photo S65-51442
Astronauts Conrad and Cooper on board the recovery ship after their flight. The motto is still covered up.

Detail from NASA photo S65-51442, showing the Gemini 5 patch. Conrad’s patch looks neatly embroidered, and flat; Cooper’s patch looks as if it is perhaps not so carefully embroidered, and appears puckered in spots — very much like the official NASA photo of the patch. There are enough obvious differences between Cooper’s and Conrad’s patches that it’s likely they are from two different batches.

Crew

Design

Gemini 5