NASA’s astronaut candidates are giving new definition to “fly me to the moon” with their newly-revealed class patch.
The 12 NASA spaceflight trainees — 10 from the U.S. and two from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — reported for 2 years of primary coaching in January. 4 months later, they got their official nickname, “The Flies,” (opens in new tab) persevering with a practice that started with NASA’s firstclass of astronauts in 1959.
On Friday (Oct. 28), the Group 23 astronaut candidates (“ascans”) shared one other customized, introducing an emblem of their own (opens in new tab). “The fly-shaped patch represents our class, ‘The Flies,'” wrote Anil Menon, one of many ascans, on Instagram (opens in new tab). “Twelve stars symbolize the candidates of Class 23 and the UAE and U.S. flags are each displayed.”
Menon’s fellow classmates embrace NASA recruits Nichole Ayers, Marcos Berríos, Christina Birch, Deniz Burnham, Luke Delaney, Andre Douglas, Jack Hathaway, Christopher Williams and Jessica Wittner. Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla, who have been chosen by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Area Heart in Dubai, joined the category below an settlement between NASA and the UAE.
When announced in December 2021 (opens in new tab), the 12 ascans have been described by NASA as new members of the Artemis technology. Beneath the Artemis program, NASA is working to return astronauts to the floor of the moon so as to achieve the talents must ship the primary people to Mars.
On the Group 23 patch, the NASA astronaut symbol (opens in new tab) arcs upwards from Earth as does a spacesuited astronaut reaching out in maintain of the moon, evoking a sure basketball transfer.
“And naturally the astronaut pose represents our religion in NASA’s return to the moon being a slam dunk whereas maintaining a tally of Mars (the precise eye of the fly)!” Menon wrote, captioning a picture of the patch.
“So excited we get to finalize this!” replied Birch.
Former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, a member of the 1998 “Penguins,” additionally chimed in on Twitter (opens in new tab). “Good patch, Flies!”
The custom of sophistication patches dates again to 1978 and NASA’s eighth group of astronauts. The “Thirty-5 New Guys” (TFNG), as they have been nicknamed, was additionally the primary class to incorporate girls and minorities because the U.S. space program ready to transition from the Apollo-era to the space shuttle program.
Man Bluford, who would turn into the primary African American to fly into space, is credited with the thought. The TFNG patch was designed by space artist Robert McCall (opens in new tab), who on the identical time was creating the STS-1 mission patch for the primary shuttle crew. Each emblems depicted the winged spacecraft lifting off into space.
Since then, some NASA courses have had two patches: one with a extra formal method and one highlighting their less-than-flattering nicknames. “The Maggots” (Group 10, 1984), “The Hairballs” (Group 13, 1990), “The Hogs” (Group 14, 1992) and “The Sardines” (Group 16, 1996) all had twin designs.
Extra lately, the custom has additionally been adopted by Russia’s cosmonaut corps and European Area Company (ESA) astronauts with the introduction of their very own class patches.
Traditionally, the emblems have been solely produced for the category members. The Group 22 (2017) “The Turtles” patch grew to become the primary to be bought on to the general public when it was listed by A-B Emblem (opens in new tab), NASA’s official patch provider, in September.
“The Flies” patch has solely been seen as paintings as of but.
Since being chosen, the Group 23 ascans have undergone flight coaching with the Navy, land survival programs with the Military, spacesuit and spacewalk coaching at NASA’s impartial buoyancy facility and geology area coaching in New Mexico. The category was additionally current for the primary makes an attempt at launching the uncrewed Artemis I mission, NASA’s first main step towards sending astronauts to the moon.
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