The New NASA 60th Anniversary Logo Designed by Matthew Skeins
NASA has released the NASA 60th Anniversary Logo for use in observing this milestone anniversary, designed by NASA graphic artist, Matthew Skeins.
The logo depicts how NASA is building on its historic past to soar toward a challenging and inspiring future, offering a nod to the past with a few elements borrowed from the original program emblem, and a glimpse into the future.
NASA will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Oct. 1, 2018. In six decades, the agency has not only put astronauts on the moon, but fundamentally changed how we look at the Earth and the cosmos, pushed the limits of technology and continued to improve aircraft and aviation — not to mention building the first weather and early telecommunications satellites.
As NASA looks forward to such milestones as the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the Space Launch System, this page will look back at some of the milestones we’ve reached along the way.
NASA 60th anniversary logo (vertical format)
NASA Releases Logo For Upcoming 60th Anniversary: “NASA” and “60” are stacked, bold and tall, atop the continental United States, the curvature of Earth, and the light of an approaching dawn.
This placement captures the spirit of a metaphor about knowledge and discovery, often attributed to 17th century physicist Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Similarly, NASA was built from the legacy and expertise of giants in government-sponsored research and development, including the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the Naval Research Laboratory, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Two vectors, one blue and one red, circle the alphanumeric elements and point toward the dark outer edges of the logo as if zooming into the unknown. In doing so, they form a “6,” which is emblematic of the number of decades since NASA was established.
The blue vector represents NASA’s roots in aeronautics research and the societal impact of our first views of Earth as a solitary “blue marble” in the vast blackness of space. The red vector represents NASA’s leadership of an innovative and sustainable exploration program that engages commercial and international partners; enables expansion of human presence to the Moon, Mars and throughout the solar system; and brings new knowledge and opportunities back to Earth.
Depicted at the tip of this vector are the key elements of NASA’s deep space transportation system, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew vehicle.
A crescent moon, a ringed planet and a field of stars amid a nebula of light blue represent NASA’s scientific underpinnings, particularly the enduring quest for answers to age-old questions about the workings and evolution of our planet, our solar system and the universe