Launch today, kelly patch history

Kelly, left, Padalka, middle, and Korniyenko looking
at their launch vehicle. - Credit: NASA

Today is the day! Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenko will be launching to space for one year. Actually, to be more precise, it will be 342 days. Watch on NASA TV (coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. CDT) or follow #YearInSpace on twitter to keep up to date. 

The launch is scheduled at 2:42 p.m. with docking at the International Space Station scheduled for 8:36 p.m.

In the hours before the launch of Kelly, Korniyenko and Gennady Padalka on Soyuz TMA-16M, it might be worth to note that Kelly is the NASA astronaut with the most patches with his name on it for a mission. 

Kelly with his one year patch.
- Credit: NASA

In fact, in a story by Robert Pearlman of CollectSpace, Pearlman writes about a particular name patch that was supposed to launch to orbit back in late October 2014 aboard the Cygnus cargo capsule. The rocket carrying it exploded seconds after liftoff.

Apparently those patches survived unscathed, and Kelly will be taking them on his launch today as a memento of good luck.

Kelly has a number of other patches associated with him. In total, he has 11 patches with his name on it. This doesn't include honorary patches and patches that had to be changed. The person with the most space mission patches is Gennady Padalka, with 13 patches.

Read the CollectSpace article here.