John Stewart Making Fun of the NROL-39 Patch

NRO Launch-39 patch (Webmaster’s personal collection)

A patch from the National Reconnaissance Office has been in the news a lot lately after the organization posted an image on its Twitter account. The patch, for NRO Launch 39 (NROL-39) features an octopus over the Earth with the inscription “Nothing is Beyond Our Reach.” If you never thought that an embroidered piece of cloth could ever cause trouble, think again. It has caused quite the controversy; here are some articles from around the Web on this now infamous patch:

Forbes Magazine: “U.S. Spy Rocket Has Octopus-Themed ‘Nothing Is Beyond Our Reach’ Logo. Seriously.”

Business Insider: “US Spy Agency Boasts ‘Nothing Is Beyond Our Reach’ With New Logo”

Quartz: “America’s outer-space spy program has a new mascot: a world-eating octopus”

Digital Journal Op-Ed: “US launches secret spy satellite marked with ‘evil octopus'”

National Review: “Spooks Off the Leash”

techdirt: “US Spy Satellite Logo Not At All Subtle: Octopus Enveloping The Earth”

And if that wasn’t enough, the patch made it on The Daily Show with John Stewart. Watch the clip below starting approximately the 3:00 mark:

And of course, The Daily Show’s version was made into a patch: