The STS-122 patch depicts the continuation of the voyages of the early explorers to toda y’s frontier, space. The ship denotes the travels of the early expeditions from the East to the West. The space shuttle shows the continuation of that journey along the orbital path from West to East.

A little more than 500 years after Columbus sailed to the new world, the STS- 122 crew will bring the Columbus European laboratory module to the International Space Station to usher in a new era of scientific exploration