A blast from NASA's past has returned for the blastoff of the first American astronauts to launch into orbit from U.S. soil in almost a decade.
The space agency on Thursday (April 2) revealed that its previously long-retired logotype, affectionately referred to as the "worm," has been officially returned to service for SpaceX's first crewed launch to the International Space Station. The flight will mark the first launch of NASA astronauts from a U.S.-based launchpad since the final mission of the space shuttle in July 2011.
"The worm is back!" NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced on Thursday. "When the SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off carrying NASA astronauts aboard Crew Dragon, it will sport the iconic symbol to mark the return of human spaceflight on American rockets from American soil."
posted 04-02-2020 07:15 PM
Bravo! A welcomed return of the worm.
oly Member
Posts: 1103 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 04-03-2020 12:30 AM
I hope the worm logo has not been painted over the LOX tank section, otherwise the logo will not be visible when the rocket is fueled. It is great to see some nostalgia being added to some of these flights.
David C Member
Posts: 1166 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
posted 04-03-2020 08:06 AM
Darn it, that thing sure is hard to kill.
OV-105 Member
Posts: 831 From: Ridgecrest, CA Registered: Sep 2000
posted 04-04-2020 12:08 AM
You know how worms are, you cut them in half you will have two worms.
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1328 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 04-04-2020 11:38 AM
quote:Originally posted by David C: Darn it, that thing sure is hard to kill.
Like the sands of Arrakis, the Worm is eternal...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-08-2020 02:21 PM
From NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (via Twitter):
We're bringing back the worm, but the NASA meatball isn't going anywhere. Check out how the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will look when we launch Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the space station.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-21-2020 10:58 AM
NASA video
Modern rocket. Retro logo. Same mission. The Worm is back. And just in time to mark the return of human spaceflight on American rockets from American soil.
The retro, modern and iconic emblem will fly once again, this time on the side of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will ferry astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station on May 27 from Kennedy Space Center. Graphic designer Richard Danne explains how he and Bruce Blackburn created the logo in 1975. Take a trip down memory lane as we look to the future of our mission to #LaunchAmerica.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-21-2020 11:02 AM
NASA photos (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled out of the horizontal integration facility at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission, Thursday, May 21, 2020, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
What began as a single instance on the side of a rocket, has now grown into a full infestation. The "worm," NASA's former logo that was retired 30 years ago, has taken over the first mission to fly astronauts from a U.S. launchpad in nearly a decade.
The worm, as the 1970's NASA logotype is affectionately known, has gone from recent years being restricted to use on t-shirts and souvenirs to now adorning almost every prominent surface associated with SpaceX's Demo-2 mission, the first flight of NASA astronauts from a U.S. launchpad since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.
328KF Member
Posts: 1285 From: Registered: Apr 2008
posted 05-29-2020 01:21 PM
Love The Worm... glad it's back and I hope it goes beyond Bridenstine's directive that it's just for this mission. But I do wish they'd get the color correct.
When looking for an authentic Worm patch, one can spot an original by the slightly "orangier" red color as opposed to the darker red they are using on DM-2. Embroidered and beta cloth patches I have are all in this color, which I assume was standardized by the agency.
Having said that, now that it's to be flown in this new age, I suppose this version might come to be known as the "Commercial Crew variant"?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Crews inside the RPSF [Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility] will also paint the NASA "worm" logo on some of the motor segments, continuing the reemergence of the 1970s-era logotype began with the red worm's appearance on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken into orbit May 30.
"We're going to paint on what we call the NASA worm," Jeff] Angermeier, NASA flow director for the Artemis program at the Kennedy Space Center, said. We'll paint that onto the boosters."
Tom Member
Posts: 1622 From: New York Registered: Nov 2000
posted 06-25-2020 10:25 AM
Are there any plans to re-fly this Falcon 9 first stage again? If they do, it will be interesting to see if they leave the "worm" on it.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-21-2020 08:21 PM
SpaceX's launch of the ANASIS-II mission on Monday (July 20) reused the Falcon 9 first stage that flew on the Demo-2 mission.
The worm was reportedly not removed, but it was not visible given the angle of the video and photos that were released.
oly Member
Posts: 1103 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 07-21-2020 10:17 PM
Removing the logo would not be an easy task, and painting over adds weight to the booster. If the worm branded booster is used for a non-NASA related launch, chances are NASA would prefer that the brand not be publicised so that no association is made between the administration and the customer.
As the worm logo is covered in ice when the booster is fueled, the design is not visible during launch anyway.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-24-2020 02:27 PM
From NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, a post-ANASIS-II first stage recovery photo showing the worm:
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44736 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
A symbol from NASA's post-Apollo era has found a new ride to the moon.
The space agency's once-retired logotype known as the "worm" has been added to the rocket and spacecraft that will launch NASA's efforts to return astronauts to the lunar surface.
"I'm excited to share the first photos of the NASA worm and ESA [European Space Agency] logo that will be on the Artemis I mission. I am looking forward to seeing the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft take flight with these iconic symbols," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote on Twitter on Wednesday (Sept. 30).
posted 04-02-2020 03:50 PM
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