NASA’s iconic “worm” logo has made a comeback, as it was recently painted on the Artemis 2 rocket boosters for the historic moon mission. In a video released by the agency, engineers can be seen carefully coloring in the curvy “NASA” lettering, rapidly filling it up with red. This marks a significant milestone in the Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than September 2025 and will carry four astronauts around the moon. Among them is NASA commander Reid Wiseman, who will be joined by NASA pilot Victor Glover, the first Black person to leave low Earth orbit (LEO). Also on board will be NASA mission specialist Christina Koch, the first woman to venture beyond LEO, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American to participate in such a mission.
The Artemis program has faced delays, with the launch dates for both Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 being pushed back due to technical reasons. However, development and training for the missions are still ongoing. Artemis 3, which is expected to land on the lunar surface no earlier than 2026, is contingent upon the readiness of spacesuits and SpaceX’s Starship lander.
The revival of the “worm” logo, which was first used in 1975, has garnered attention. NASA had previously retired the logo in favor of its “meatball” logo, a 1959 image that was brought back in 1992 to evoke memories of the Apollo era. However, the worm logo made a limited comeback in 2020 and can now be seen not only on the rocket boosters but also on the Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft.
Artemis 2 and 3 are part of the larger Artemis program, which has the ambitious goal of establishing a permanent settlement on the moon’s south pole. This location is of particular interest due to the presence of water ice, which can be used to provide life support, fuel, and other mission necessities. NASA is leading a coalition of nations under the Artemis Accords, with countries like Canada and certain member states of the European Space Agency contributing hardware in exchange for moon mission opportunities. Other nations have signed on to promote peaceful space exploration under the leadership of the United States.
The painting of the worm logo on the Artemis 2 rocket boosters symbolizes a new chapter in space exploration. As NASA prepares for its historic moon mission, the iconic logo serves as a reminder of the agency’s rich history and its commitment to pushing the boundaries of human exploration. With each stroke of paint, NASA brings us one step closer to returning to the moon and paving the way for future missions to Mars and beyond.