The Mission Patch:

As the International Space Station has become a stepping stone to future space exploration,
the Expedition 38 mission patch design paints a visual roadmap of exploration beyond low
Earth orbit, most prominently represented by the design’s flowing Expedition 38 mission
numbers that wrap around Earth, the moon and Mars. Just as the sun is a guiding light in
the galaxy, the space station illuminates the bottom of the design as a shining beacon of the
advancement of science, knowledge and technology carried out aboard the space station.
To visually capture the idea of the space station being a foundation for infinite discovery,
the space station’s iconic solar arrays span upwards, providing the number 38 and its
exploration roadmap a symbolic pedestal to rest on. Finally, the overall use of red, white and
blue in the design acknowledges the flags of the countries of origin for Expedition 38’s crew
— the United States, Russia, and Japan.