posted 09-26-2011 01:44 PM               

ESA Astronaut Class of 2009 patch

It is with great honour that we (the Spacepatches.nl team) present here the emblem for ESA's Astronaut Class of 2009, also known as the "Shenanigans": Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy), Alexander Gerst (Germany), Andreas Mogensen (Denmark), Luca Parmitano (Italy), Timothy Peake (United Kingdom) and Thomas Pesquet (France).

The idea for a class logo was first brought forward to the six newest ESA astronauts by Jacques van Oene at the Paris Air Show of 2009. The final version was drawn by Vincent Gibaud, using proposals submitted by Luc van den Abeelen and myself. These in turn were based on the wishes of the six members of the astronaut class themselves.

The artwork was approved by the European Space Agency, making it the first official ESA astronaut class patch.

The logo incorporates the five values as written in the Charta of the European Astronaut Corps of August 15, 2001:

Sapientia: We believe that Human Space Exploration is a wise choice by and for humankind. Sapientia reflects our commitment to pursue our goals for the advancement of humanity.

Populus: We put people first, in two ways: First, the purpose of our mission is to contribute to a better future for people on Earth. Second: Populus serves as a reflection of our repect for the people with whom we work: that we value their opinions, praise their work and compliment them for their support.

Audacia: We acknowledge that Spaceflight is a dangerous endeavour. While accepting the risks inherently involved in space travel we work to minimise these risks whenever we can. Audacia reminds us that the rewards will be unparalleled if we succeed.

Cultura: We continue the exploration started by our ancestors. Conscious of our history and traditions, we expand exploration into space, passing on our cultural heritage to future generations.

Exploratio: We value exploration as an opportunity to discover, to learn and, ultimately, to grow. We are convinced that humankind must embrace the challenge of peaceful human space exploration. We, the European Astronauts, are willing to take the next step.

The first letters of the five values of course read "SPACE".