GPS IIf-12 Mission Patch - 5th SLS Support Group. This patch is issued by the group supporting the Launch Vehicle that will complete the new constellation of 12 GPS satellites. The mission is named after the Navstar Betelgeuse which is the second brightest star in the Orion constellation. The patch design is based off of the 1988 Tim Burton movie “BettleJuice” due to its close relationship in pronunciation. The patch displays a scene in the movie where BettleJuice after being summoned turns his hands into mallets to strike a carnival game called “High Striker”. This game known to be a measure of strength, is very appropriate for this mission due to the fact of 100% mission success for the GPS IIF block satellites thus far. Instead of a metal ball being shot up to a bell the Atlas V 401 rocket is showed ready to be launched unobstructed up towards space. The Atlas “A” is displayed to represent ULAs efforts and 5 stars represent the 5th Space Launch Squadron. The Navstar on the top of the patch is a carryover from all GPS IIF-block missions and will also be shown on IIIA-block mission patches as well, a bit of heritage and a salute to the future and the past on this patch. Other design elements include the mission name, the Atlas vehicle number, and “321” for “321 launch”, which inspired the area code of the greater Space Coast region.
