This is the original version of the STS-118 mission patch. The mission was first scheduled for the spring of 2007 and along with its other goals, would bring astronaut Clayton C. Anderson to the International Space Station to become part of the ISS Expedition 15 crew. In one of the more quirky events in the history space exploration, the mission of STS-117 was delayed due to damage caused by a hail storm while the orbiter was on the launch pad. This delayed the STS-117 mission until June 8, 2007. To keep the ISS crew rotation on track, Anderson caught a ride on STS-117 rather than wait for the now postponed STS-118 mission. This change left STS-118 one crew member short.

To fill the empty seat, NASA added Astronaut and Air Force Col. Benjamin Alvin Drew to the crew of STS-118 in May of 2007. This crew change caused the official mission patch to be reissued with Anderson's name replaced by Drew. Since no more of the so called "STS-118 Anderson" patch will be made, this original version will soon be a rare collectible.