NASA's New 'Exploration' Insignia

colonist writes "NASA has a new insignia for the program set by the Vision for Space Exploration. This UPI article describes it: "Three spheres--Earth, the moon and Mars--are arrayed in sequence, with the streak of a rocket passing through each. A Latin inscription on the emblem says 'Audentes Fortuna Juvat,' which, translated into English, says 'Fortune Favors the Bold.'" Compare it with other space mission insignia."

I love these things.

[Amiga Lover]

I don't think there's many things that haven't changed much like nasa's insignias. To me they're all so delightfully kitsch 50s stuff.

Nice to see something with continuity... even nicer that I like that base design.

Re:Why Latin?

[panurge]

A good point. Latin inscriptions date from when everybody in Europe who could read, read Latin. That's a long time ago now, since rebels like Dante and Chaucer started doing serious literary stuff in local languages (OK, they were doing it in Provence in the 12th Century, but who reads Arnaut nowadays?)

I guess the answer is that if it's in English, you see how unimpressive it really is. Because the alternative to "Fortune favours the bold" is that saying of Flight Class 101, "There are no old, bold pilots".

Re:Why Latin?

[CheshireCatCO]

Because Latin sounds more impressive than everyday English. It's the same reason that the Romans of Caesar's day spoke Greek when they wanted to sound especially impressive. (Hence the line in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", "But for mine own part, it was Greek to me," in reference to Cicero's speech earlier.)

Better question: why do you ask and why do you single out NASA? The US motto ("e pluribus unum") is in Latin, as are countless other mottos, slogans, and inscriptions around this country. And if you look, the Latin is translated into English on this NASA patch.

In any event, it wasn't exactly a vital safety message, it's just a slogan. If you haven't studied Latin, you're not really missing something important.

Sounds Familiar....

[WryCoder]

Reminds me of some software projects. First the logo, then the web site, then the coffee cups, and finally start arguing about what is to be accomplished.

Prediction...

[mpaque]

This patch and a vast collection of 'white papers' is all that we'll ever see from this NASA initiative.

The papers will be the result of spending several billion dollars on studies with NASA aerospace industry contractors.

No hardware beyond conceptual models will be produced.

Sorry folks, but if you want to actually GO somewhere, NASA is no longer the most effective way to spend money to get there. In a few more years, NASA won't be able to get people to LEO any more. That makes getting to the moon or Mars difficult.

Delta Clipper series - 3 successful scale model flights of DC-X, project terminated for DC-XA after crash on 4th landing. It worked, though. Defunded in 1996 for the X-33 and following projects.

X-33 started 1996, ended 2001. Concrete was poured for a launch facility. Lots of parts moved in (and out) of an assembly hanger. NASA discovers that when in contact with liquid hydrogen, lots of materials turn brittle and fail under load. (This bit actually develops some good materials science.) Two completed aerospike rocket engines were built and operated in a test stand for 1.12 seconds.

X-37 orbital flight demonstrator. X40A scale model for free flight built in 1998. Fabrication of first X-37 started in 2001, with an orbital test planned for 2003. AIr Force withdrew support in 2002. Project defunded in 2003.

CEV - Announced 2003. NASA Request for Information sent to contractors in April 2004. "Spiral development" plan call for launching a stripped down prototype in 2008, containing only about 30 percent of the systems of a fully developed craft, unpiloted test flights in 2011, and a manned mission in 2014.