The Expedition-34 patch was designed in February/March 2011 by Jorge Cartes and Tim Gagnon, working with astronaut Kevin Ford. It was revealed on Kevin Ford's weblog on October 12, 2011. The embroidered patch, made by AB Emblem, was approved for production in January 2012.

Tim about the design:

This is essentially Kevin Ford's idea. Jorge and I made suggestions and the entire crew provided input. A team effort to be sure. Jorge and I were just happy to be asked.

Description:

The outer border of the Expedition 34 patch takes the moldline of a crew transfer or generic resupply vehicle which will form our bridge to the orbiting outpost throughout the second half of its operational lifetime.

Inscribed inside in gold is a craft symbolizing future extra-terrestrial landers that will someday open other celestial destinations to human exploration.

Our Sun, which enables the miracle of the only known life in our universe, radiates above the rich and colorful orb of Earth. Its 15 rays represent the countries of the ISS Partnership whose foresight and sacrifice have enabled the first small steps into our universe.

The International Space Station in flight represents the dedication, ingenuity, and cooperation amongst the thousands and thousands of workers around the globe who have successfully designed and built a wonder of our modern world.

The distant stars, like those visible in our night sky, beckon us to come further into the depths of space.

“Off the Earth. . . For the Earth” – Our acknowledgement of the responsibility and commitment to work diligently for all inhabitants of Planet Earth.

Left: The patch as produced by Tsenki in Russia. It used Jorge's original art for the spacing between the names; the flags are still larger. Right: a version privately produced for the crew, true to the artwork and with gold thread.