Flag Changes at the Entrance Gates

Above the guard shacks at the Johnson Space Center entrances, pennant flags have traditionally been flown to represent the nationality of each crew member aboard the International Space Station. This is a sign of the international unity and teamwork that enables the success of our human space exploration missions.

However, the next time you drive on-site, you may notice that a slight change is taking place with the tradition. Instead of flying a flag representing the nationality of each crew member, the banner will now fly one pennant for each country that currently has a crew member aboard the station.

While this is a small change, it highlights the importance that all space station partners play in running the international laboratory, as well as creates space to fly even more partner flags given the recent flurry of visits by Commercial Crew vehicles — in turn increasing the population of the orbiting outpost.

“The pennants are meant to serve as a daily reminder of the lives we are working to protect,” said Lisa Gurgos, who oversees the pennants from the Center Operations Directorate. “This small change enables us to continue representing each nation that we are protecting as crew sizes increase on station.”

While many employees are unable to drive on-site and see the pennants at the moment, they continue to serve as a tangible reminder of the astronauts living and working in space that the entire Johnson team works to protect.

To learn more about the current space station crew, click here.