NASA revived its classic logo, called the "worm," for what it calls "the next chapter of space exploration."
NASA announced that the old logo is being used in a space mission for the first time since its 1992 retirement in a release titled "The Worm Is Back!" It will adorn the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which is slated to go to the International Space Station in May.
The "worm," developed for NASA by design firm Danne & Blackburn, features the agency's initialism in a unique red typeface. In 1975, it replaced the original logo, known as "the meatball." The "meatball" features a red vector wing intertwined with an orbiting body swirling around the initialism NASA in white letters in front of a starry field of blue. It was designed by NASA employee James Modarelli in 1959.
The "meatball" will still be NASA's "primary symbol," said the agency, but "there's a good chance" the "worm" will appear in other official projects under consideration. In recent years, the "meatball" and the "worm" have been popular on clothing, toys and other merchandise.