In the foreground of the patch, the International Space Station is prominently displayed to acknowledge the efforts of the entire International Space Station (ISS) team - both the crews who have built and operated it, and the team of scientists, engineers, and support personnel on Earth who have provided a foundation for each successful mission. Their efforts and accomplishments have demonstrated the space station's capabilities as a technology test bed and a science laboratory, as well as a path to the human exploration of our solar system and beyond. The ISS is shown with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-2), the Johannes Kepler, docked to resupply it with experiments, food, water, and fuel for Expedition 26 and beyond. This Expedition 26 patch represents the teamwork among the international partners - USA, Russia, Japan, Canada, and the ESA - and the ongoing commitment from each partner to build, improve, and utilize the ISS. Prominently displayed in the background is our home planet, Earth - the focus of much of our exploration and research on our outpost in space. The two stars symbolize two Soyuz spacecraft, each one carrying a three-member crew, who for four months will work and live together aboard the ISS as Expedition 26. The patch shows the crewmembers' names, and it's framed with the flags of their countries of origin - United States, Russia, and Italy.