The head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov, approved the mission patch for the next crew to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) onboard the Russian vehicle Soyuz TMA-21 in March next year.
The patch uses a drawing by a French boy, Marciel Santos Kayle, 12, who lives in French Guiana, not far away from the new launch pad for Russian Soyuz rockets.
The winner of traditional Roscosmos' patch contest is invited to come to Baikonur to witness the upcoming launch.
As Roscosmos' chief has announced, the Soyuz TMA-21 vehicle will have a GAGARIN sign on it. The launch is to be devoted to the 50th anniversary of the first space mission by Yuri Gagarin.
Marciel's sketch was chosen for the crew emblem because it depicts Gagarin and his spacecraft, Vostok. The patch will be worn by the Soyuz prime crew - Alexander Samokutyayev, Andrei Borisenko and Ron Garan.
Marciel has five brothers and four sisters. Since his mother's death three years ago, Marciel lives with the family of his uncle. He goes in for drawing and dreams about becoming a cosmonaut.
According to Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov, the international patch contest will go on in 2011, which was announced as the Year of Cosmonautics by the Russian President.
So, Marciel and three other young winners will be awarded trips to Baikonur in 2011.
Roscosmos has been running the Soyuz patch contest for two years. Eight Russian crew vehicles have been flown into space with the patches made by young artists. Among the winners, there were children from the United States and China.