Pin, Lapel, STS-63, "Magellan T. Bear"

This lapel pin represents space shuttle mission STS-63 flown in February 1995 to rendezvous with the Russian space station Mir. It depicts both spacecraft, the United States and Russian flags, and the names of the shuttle crew. The pin is a souvenir for the flight of Magellan T. Bear on the STS-63 mission.

Magellan T. Bear became the first official teddy bear in space, flying as the "education specialist" aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-63 mission in February 1995. The bear's journey was part of an ambitious educational project to stimulate interest in geography, science, and social studies. Students and faculty of Elk Creek Elementary School in Pine, Colorado, worked with NASA and Spacehab to have the teddy bear certified for spaceflight. The school also arranged for the bear to fly around the world, visit the South Pole, fly on United Airlines' first Boeing 777 flight, and attend U.S. Space Camp.

Magellan T. Bear was presented to the National Air and Space Museum in May 1998 by librarian Penny Wiedeke and principal Jerry Williams.