posted 06-28-2026 04:23 PM            

I see that collectSPACE always uses Roman numerals. It was clear that there was no hard and fast rule for Gemini or Apollo: some missions used Roman, others Arabic. Significantly, Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 used Arabic. I don't know if it's apocryphal but I have read that Neil Armstrong insisted on "Apollo 11" because many people around the world would not have understood "XI." As far as I can see, all NASA Apollo reports (press kits, flight plans, etc.) used Arabic for all missions, even if the patch used Roman.

Artemis I was obviously not an issue, but I see that the Artemis II patch has both "A II" and a stylized "2" on it. The press kit refers to "Artemis II." Has NASA got around to issuing any mission reports yet?

posted 06-28-2026 06:32 PM               

The Artemis II crew made a point of it, saying that they were designating their mission "AII," as it could also be read as "ALL" and they sought "to explore for all and by all."

The red vector on the Artemis II patch is not intended to be an Arabic "2," but rather than trajectory followed by the mission.

As for earlier use of Roman numerals, from NASA SP-4402, "Origins of NASA Names":

Until 1969, NASA chose roman numerals to designate successful flight missions, although there were notable exceptions.

posted 06-29-2026 05:00 PM            

What I asked was whether NASA has set out a definitive, official stance on the use of Roman numerals. I'm not sure that document you cite counts as definitive proof. Might it be no more than one PR writer's take on the subject? Is there an official NASA press release stating that "we are officially using Roman numerals for all Artemis mission numbering"?