This is a patch produced for the Constellation Program office of the United Space Alliance, back in 2007. The image contains a number of elements that evoke the office's focus on exploration from the Earth to the Moon and on to Mars.
In the aerospace community, projects have patches, which are similar to logos. The patch embodies the mission statement for those involved. The motif dates back to the military, as most of the early astronauts were service pilots.
I started with some very literal representations of the spacecraft that would take us into space. The culture of the government's aerospace community is very conservative, as it's made of scientists, technicians, and bureaucrats. The first set of sketches did not address the abstract concept of exploration.
The next sets of sketches aimed at expressing the mission, rather than the vehicles themselves. Once a general language was approved, I set out to refine the elements. I tried a number of embellisments, but chose to stay with bold graphic shapes.
This was a fun project. It straddled the literal and the abstract. The director of the program office worked though the design process with me, and a strong image was attained.
This was a fun project. It straddled the literal and the abstract. The director of the program office worked though the design process with me, and a strong image was attained.
