New mission patch for US Lab on ISS to feature Groot and Rocket Raccoon

Two beloved Marvel characters are heading to the International Space Station.

Guardians of the Galaxy's Groot and Rocket Raccoon will be featured on the new mission patch for the US National Laboratory on the International Space Station.

The mission patch is the product of a collaboration between the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the US National Lab on the ISS, and Marvel and Marvel Custom Solutions Group.

According to CASIS marketing and communications manager Patrick O'Neill, who announced the partnership at San Diego Comic-Con, the patch will symbolize the research payloads that will be going to the lab for 2016.

"This is the first time that Marvel's going to do something that's truly space-oriented, and I think that's one of the things that makes this such a unique collaboration," O'Neill said. "It's an opportunity for us to do something fun and to help showcase what the space station's all about: innovation."

Guardians director James Gunn tweeted about the patch, but got some of the details wrong. "So cool. NASA Oasis [sic] has paired with Marvel and is using Rocket & Groot as an official emblem for the mission to Mars," he said.

So cool. NASA Oasis has paired with Marvel and is using Rocket & Groot as an official emblem for the mission to Mars pic.twitter.com/0ox5vnMEFS

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 22, 2016

— BM, GMA News