NASA Invites Media to 65th Birthday Celebration for Iconic Logo

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Jul 09, 2024, 14:00 ET

CLEVELAND, July 9, 2024  /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's logo turns 65 on Monday, July 15, and media are invited to its birthday celebration in Cleveland, the city where the iconic symbol was designed.

To mark the logo's birthday, NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland will host a series of activities celebrating the city's connection to one of the most recognized logos in the world from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on July 15 at Great Lakes Science Center, home of Glenn's visitor center. Admission to the Science Center will be free, and the event is open to the public.

In Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Michael Williams of United Space Alliance paints the NASA logo — known as the “meatball” — on the left wing of space shuttle Endeavour in 2012. Credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

A birthday celebration and cake-cutting ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. and feature remarks from center leadership, a visit from the logo designer's family, and special presentations from the city and state. Other activities include:

History and Symbolism of NASA Insignia Presentation, noon and 2 p.m.
NASA Creatives Presentation featuring Glenn's award-winning photographers and videographers, 1 p.m.
Coloring contest, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Coloring contest winners announced, 2 p.m.
Eva the Astronaut mascot appearance and photo ops, 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
NASA Creatives Presentation featuring retired NASA Glenn photographer Marv Smith, 3 p.m.

The round blue, white, and red logo affectionately nicknamed the "meatball" became official in 1959 and was designed by the late James Modarelli, a Cleveland Institute of Art graduate and employee of Lewis Research Center (now NASA Glenn).

Media interested in covering the event should contact Jacqueline Minerd at [email protected].

For more information on NASA Glenn events, visit: 

https://www.nasa.gov/glenn-communityengagement/

SOURCE NASA