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The 'worm': After 30 years being buried, the "worm" is back in force. NASA's retired logo, which was in use at the agency from 1975 to 1992, has gone from being limited to apparel and souvenirs to becoming part of SpaceX's historic first launch of astronauts. "The NASA style guide is very clear, the worm no longer exists — but I write the style guide," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said about the decision to bring back the worm for the Demo-2 mission.
Boots on the Moooo'n: Move over Mission to Marzipan, Ben & Jerry's has a new space-themed flavor. Boots on the Moooo'n, a new Limited Batch, is an ode to the Netflix series "Space Force," launching Friday (May 29) on the streaming service. Boots on the Moooo'n ice cream has fudge cows, toffee meteors and a cookie dough core.
Missing mission patch: Despite having two official designs, the crew of SpaceX's Demo-2 mission will be the first NASA astronauts to launch not wearing a mission patch since the Gemini 4 crew in 1965. SpaceX's spacesuits are adorned with NASA's and the company's logos, as well as Bob Behnken's and Doug Hurley's names, but forgoes a 55-year colorful tradition by omitting a place for the patch.
Trees, tags and traditions: NASA's first two astronauts set to launch from U.S. soil since the space shuttle was retired have borrowed ideas from other programs to start a new set of traditions for commercial spacecraft crews preparing to fly into space. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley planted a tree and tagged a simulator in the lead up to their arrival in Florida on Wednesday (May 20), where they soon will lift off aboard SpaceX's first crewed Dragon capsule.
Artemis Accords: The Apollo moon landing sites and other areas of historical importance on the lunar surface will be left undisturbed if NASA's newly-announced principles for joint exploration are followed. Countries that want to join NASA's Artemis program will be held to the "Artemis Accords," the U.S. space agency's framework for the "safe, peaceful and prosperous" utilization of the moon.
Astrovan X: Neither Bob Behnken nor Doug Hurley will be able to call shotgun when they leave for the launchpad to liftoff on SpaceX's Demo-2 mission. The first two astronauts set to fly on board a Dragon spacecraft, they will ride in the backseats of a Tesla Model X out to their waiting Falcon 9 rocket. The electric SUV displays NASA's insignia on its doors and the "worm" logotype on its rear window.
Welcome to Jamestown: Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who served as a technical advisor on the Apple TV+ series "For All Mankind," is the narrator of new video tour of Jamestown, the show's Apollo-era moon base. As shown in the video, the lunar outpost includes a number of nods to real-life space history; details that even the most fervent of watchers may have missed during the series' first season.
Slimed in space: Nickelodeon's green slime made its orbital debut Saturday (May 2), with the broadcast of the network's annual Kids' Choice Awards. In footage filmed aboard the International Space Station, astronauts Luca Parmitano and Christina Koch demonstrated how the slime reacted to floating in zero gravity. "Don't try this at home, or if you try, expect something very, very different," Parmitano said as he experimented with the non-Newtonian fluid.
NASA G-Shock: With its iconic square face and digital display, the Casio G-Shock was a common sight on the space shuttle as one of the several wristwatches NASA approved for its astronauts to wear on orbit. Now, Casio is paying homage to the space agency and the watch's space history with a limited edition, NASA-themed G-Shock.
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Human Kind: Tristan Eaton is no stranger to seeing his work in high places. A street artist who has created designer toys, Eaton's multi story tall murals have graced the side of city buildings. But his next exhibition is bound for new heights. "Human Kind," his series of indestructible, two sided paintings, is flying on SpaceX's first Dragon to launch with NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
Bob & Doug's excellent machine: From its start, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft was designed to be a 21st century capsule, so its first astronaut crew resisted adding their own touches from the past. DM-2 crewmates Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley avoided turning the Dragon into "Bob and Doug's excellent machine," though as veterans of the space shuttle, did customize their craft with Velcro.
Savage on SpaceX: As a maker, a fan of all things NASA and former "Mythbusters" host, Adam Savage has a lot to like about the first launch of astronauts on a SpaceX rocket. He will share his enthusiasm for the flight during Discovery and Science Channel's live launch simulcast, but first Savage shared his thoughts on SpaceX's Dragon, new spacesuits and storytelling in a new interview.
Sun-baked meatball: After over a decade of exposure to the Florida space coast's air and sun, the 10 story tall NASA logo emblazoned on the side of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) had begun to fade. With human space launches set to resume from the Kennedy Space Center, it was time to restore the insignia, called the "meatball," and its adjacent American flag, to their former full-color glory.
'The Right Stuff': "The Right Stuff," National Geographic's Mercury 7 series based on the book by Tom Wolfe, will premiere this fall on the Disney+ streaming service. On Tuesday (May 5), NatGeo released a first look at "The Right Stuff", including its recreation of the first U.S. human spaceflight, 59 years after Alan Shepard's historic launch.
Etch A (NASA) Sketch: To mark 60 years of the classic toy, Spin Master has introduced a new limited edition Etch A Sketch inspired by NASA. The space-themed design trades the iconic red frame and simple white dials for a motif adorned by a NASA logo-emblazoned Space Launch System rocket, an astronaut and two moon-shaped knobs.
Human landing systems: NASA has picked three contractors to build the human landing systems in support of its Artemis program. A Blue Origin-led National Team, Dynetics and SpaceX will advance their different concepts to land astronauts on the moon by the agency's 2024 goal. The contracts, totaling $967 million, cover a 10-month base period for NASA to assess each of the companies' designs.
Tianwen-1: China has chosen Tianwen-1 as the name of its first mission aimed at landing a probe and rover on Mars. Derived from an ancient Chinese poem that posed "questions about the heavens," the name will also apply to future Chinese planetary exploration missions. A logo for the program was also revealed as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of China's first satellite launch.
'Build A Planet' for Earth Day: To celebrate the 50th annual Earth Day, LEGO and NASA have launched a new one-day Build A Planet challenge. Families are invited to build Earth, Mars, an exoplanet or any world of their own design and share their toy brick planets online. The activity is aimed at highlighting NASA's role in learning more about our home planet. Earth Day was inspired by the sight of the Earth over the moon as seen by the Apollo 8 astronauts.
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