Launching the 25th!
On Friday, February 23, 2023, participants from as far away as Germany and the United Kingdom tested their space exploration knowledge in a challenging online trivia event. The action was fast-paced, and much fun was had with the broad smiles and encouraging messages in the chat. However, the event’s highlight was not the winners crowning but the unveiling of a special piece of art.
Trivia participants at the end of a fun and educational evening.
We are excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of providing high-quality STEM education opportunities to young people. Early in planning for this milestone year, we determined we needed something significant for our 25th, and we landed on a design that could also serve as VASFA’s logo in the future. We contacted Tim Gagnon, an accomplished artist and mission patch designer, to create a design that would encapsulate our history and launch our next 25 years. Tim delivered as he has for numerous astronaut crews and other organizations. We were excited to have him join us Friday to help unveil his work to the public!
Between the rounds of trivia, Tim shared his background and how he became a part of the human spaceflight program with his creativity. At this point, we were ready to share the design with all in attendance. A countdown seemed the only appropriate way to usher in the unveiling. We all counted down from 10, and then the logo was unveiled to cheers and comments of praise.
Next, Tim explained the meanings behind the different elements of the logo and how it pays homage to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, and the history of Virginia and its role in human and commercial spaceflight. We love the design and think you will too!
Design Elements
The point of view is looking down on the continental US from the ISS. This was chosen because the history of the Virginia Space Flight Academy mirrors the history of the ISS with first element launch in 1998.
The sun shines brightly through the solar array with one sun beam reaching to Virginia.
The seven stars pay tribute to the beginning of the US human space program as the Space Task Group was located at Langley.
The “commercial crew” star launches from Wallops Island symbolizing all launches from there and the burgeoning commercial space industry.
The three ships that will be ghost stitched as an "Easter egg" in the bottom represent the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery that landed at Jamestown.
Between the ships, stars and launch site, we pay tribute to the his of Virginia.
The logo is currently being embroidered into physical mission patches by the A-B Emblem Company, which has been the exclusive patch supplier for NASA since 1971. These patches will be available in mid-April. The first 50 people to join our 25th Anniversary Fundraising campaign by donating a minimum of $25 will receive a 25th anniversary patch. The first 100 donations of $100 or more will receive a 25th patch plus a certificate of authenticity signed by Tim and the VASFA founders as part of a limited edition run.
Tim Gagnon: Space Artist
“Watching the launch of Apollo 17 from the Kennedy Space Center as a NASA guest transformed a passion for spaceflight and art into the goal that an outside artist could contribute to the space program.
I've had the privilege to collaborate with 19 flight crews to create emblems for Space Shuttle and ISS Expedition missions. From that, I have opportunities to connect with numerous organizations to commemorate people and events.
This has led to sharing my graphic art, fine art, prints, and other emblems to acknowledge and celebrate human space exploration and to promote educational organizations like the VASFA.” – Tim Gagnon
Another highlight of working with Tim is his willingness to meet with our Space Adventure Campers to help kick off the annual mission patch design contest. We invite our campers to enter a design for the camp’s theme each year. A public vote (keep an eye out for details here and on our social media) selects the winning design. The winning design is prominently printed on the t-shirt given to all campers, made into decals, and adorns other camp extras. We cannot wait to see our campers’ designs this year!
We will continue celebrating throughout the year with more fun and interactive events, including a Star party and trivia nights. Please help us spread the word about giving $25 for the 25th with your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues to help us reach our anniversary year goal of raising $25,000. And stay tuned for more opportunities to celebrate with us!
Virginia Space Flight Academy
Since 1998, the Virginia Space Flight Academy has provided over 6000 students with STEM enrichment through Space Adventure Camp, STEM Academy, and outreach programs. We are ramping up this year to serve even more students as we continue to grow and reach our goal of providing all students with STEM learning that ignites dreams and launches futures.