STS-129 Mission Patch

Embroidered 4-inch patch representing STS-129, a NASA mission to the International Space Station on the space shuttle Atlantis.

STS-129, launched on November 16, 2009, was a heavy-lift logistics mission that served as a vital "stocking" of the International Space Station (ISS) as the shuttle program neared its conclusion. Flying aboard the orbiter Atlantis, the six-person crew delivered two large Express Logistics Carriers (ELC-1 and ELC-2) containing nearly 30,000 pounds of critical spare parts, including gyroscopes, nitrogen tanks, and pump modules, to ensure the station's longevity. The mission was notable for several milestones: it featured three spacewalks to install hardware and perform maintenance on the station’s robotic arms, and it served as the final shuttle mission used to rotate a long-duration crew member, bringing Nicole Stott home from her stay on the ISS. The crew also made history by celebrating the largest and most diverse Thanksgiving gathering in space alongside the Expedition 21 crew. The mission concluded after 11 days with a landing at Kennedy Space Center, having traveled over 4.5 million miles.