Mission patches are a key visual element associated with each mission to space. They include symbols that represent a team, an idea or program, or the values of the mission.
Phoenix Space is excited to unveil our new organizational mission patch, designed and donated by artist and graphic designer Tim Gagnon. Tim has been designing mission patches for NASA for years, and we are honored to have collaborated with him to design a patch that aligns with our organization and work.
Numerous design elements relevant to our organization and work are included in the patch:
- Our primary organizational colors are reflected in the purple outer band and orange inner border.
- Our tagline “A mission to inspire through education” is presented in both English and Arabic in the outer band.
- The wreath and flame at the bottom invoke a theme of education.
- The earth, viewed from space, dominates the interior of the patch. It is centered on the Middle East, where our organization started in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, and we presently operate our educational programs.
- Our logo is prominent above the earth, and our satellite icon is shown in motion, representing forward movement as we seek to advance the life opportunities of our students.
- The 18 stars in space represent the countries traditionally associated with the Middle East geographic region.
- The crescent moon is a tribute to Islam, the religion of many of our students and supporters.
We look forward to sharing this patch with everyone as we go about our work to bring space-science-themed STEM education to refugee and disadvantaged students!
About Tim Gagnon
Tim was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. A fascination with space exploration came early as did an interest in art. Like many others of his generation, Tim remembers watching the missions of his childhood heroes on a small black and white television with “rabbit ears” that could receive few broadcast stations. For his 16th birthday gift in 1972, his parents arranged for Tim and his father to attend the launch of Apollo 17 as invited guests of NASA.
Ever since reading about the design of the Skylab 1 patch in an article written by the artist Frank Kelly Freas in 1973, Tim dreamed about creating a patch for a flight crew, to use his artistic talent to contribute to the space program. He came close in 1985 when Bob Crippen invited him to submit designs for the first shuttle mission scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, STS-62A. That mission was canceled after the Challenger accident.
In 2004 his dream finally came true when astronaut John Phillips selected Tim to design the emblem for the Expedition 11 mission to the International Space Station. When the Expedition 11 patch was unveiled, Tim was contacted by Dr. Jorge Cartes of Madrid who congratulated him and spoke of how he also wanted to design mission patches. Tim responded that if the opportunity ever arose again, they would collaborate.
In 2007 Tim was selected by the STS-126 Crew to design their mission emblem. Knowing how much it meant to participate, Tim invited his pen pal Jorge to join him on this project. The STS-126 crew was so happy with the result that they recommended Tim and Jorge to the STS-127 crew. As each patch was completed, Tim and Jorge were recommended to more flight crews. Since 2008 they teamed to work with the astronauts of the following Space Shuttle crews: STS-129, STS-132, and STS-133. The end of the Space Shuttle Program did not slow down demand. Tim and Jorge were proud to work with the following crews serving aboard the International Space Station during Expeditions 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34, One Year, 47, 48, 53, and 55.
Be sure to visit Tim’s website to see his amazing work and learn more about him! You can also follow him on Facebook.
