Skip to main content

NASA's chief brought back a famous old 'worm' logo for SpaceX to use during its historic first launch of astronauts

* NASA is bringing back its famous red "worm" logo as the agency gears up for SpaceX's first launch of astronauts.  * The logo was discontinued in the 1990s and swapped out for the now better-known logo featuring a blue circle, dubbed the "meatball." * SpaceX is using the worm on its Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacesuits, the Tesla cars the astronauts will ride to the launchpad, and more. * NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said both logos are "awesome" — "I like both, so we're going with both," he said.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. NASA has temporarily brought back its red "worm" logo as the agency and SpaceX prepare for the private space company's first-ever rocket launch with astronauts on board.  The red logo, dubbed the "worm" by space aficionados for its smoothly rounded font, was discontinued in the 1990s and replaced by the now more well-known "meatball," which features a blue circle and a red swoosh.  NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine was asked about the logo's return by Robert Pearlman of CollectSpace.com during a press call on Tuesday. Bridenstine said he likes both logos and had heard from space enthusiasts that they miss the old one.  "I grew up with the worm as the logo of NASA," Bridenstine said. "It's kind of personal to me."  Fans of the worm have long clamored for its return. Bridenstine said he's personally "heard from a lot of people" that he should bring it back. "The NASA style guide is very clear — the worm no longer exists — but I write the style guide," Bridenstine said. "So I made a determination that for this particular mission, on this particular day, we were going to bring back the worm. And we did." Space enthusiasts are at odds over the logos, with people falling into camps on either side of the debate. To solve that problem, Bridenstine decided to have SpaceX use both logos. "We're bringing people together on this mission. We've got the meatball, and we've got the worm. And I like both. So we're going with both," he noted. A historic launch to space The mission, called Demo-2, will launch NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets. The launch will send the two men to orbit aboard Crew Dragon spaceship, which will attempt to catch up to and dock with the International Space Station for a 110-day stay. It will not only represent the first mission with people on board for SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk 18 years ago, but also the first American crewed launch since NASA retired its space shuttle program in July 2011. SpaceX and NASA have also put both logos on Model X cars built by Tesla (another company Musk heads) that will ferry the two astronauts to the launchpad. The worm logo is located on the rear window... ...And the meatball on the side.  NASA said in a post to its website about the logo that "the agency is still assessing how and where [the worm logo] will be used, exactly," but "there's a good chance you'll see the logo featured in other official ways on this mission and in the future." And for devotees of the meatball design, NASA wrote: "Don't worry, the meatball will remain NASA's primary symbol." Behnken and Hurley are scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 4:33 p.m. ET on Wednesday. If poor weather interferes with the launch, SpaceX and NASA can try again on Saturday at 3:22 p.m. ET or 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. If there's any problem with the rocket during launch, the Crew Dragon is programmed to automatically disconnect and fly away to safety. Join the conversation about this story »
https://bit.ly/3gylaSz

Popular posts from this blog

SpaceX has a 'go' from NASA to return 2 astronauts to Earth on Sunday as Hurricane Isaias threatens several Florida splashdown locations

* NASA on Saturday gave SpaceX a "go" to undock the company's first crewed space mission, called Demo-2, and land it on Sunday evening. * Hurricane Isaias complicated original plans to return two astronauts to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship in the Atlantic Ocean. * Elon Musk's aerospace company may now try to splash down NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in the Gulf of Mexico. * Two out of seven total landing sites near Florida must have good weather conditions, and NASA has until about 5 p.m. ET on Saturday to call off the undocking. * Should the weather worsen, NASA and SpaceX can try again a day later or some other date over the next two months. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have a "go" to return to Earth this weekend and wrap up an historic space mission for both NASA and SpaceX.  Behnken and Hurley launched to orbit aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehic...
Read more

What an independent contractor actually is and how it's classified under California's Assembly Bill 5, the gig worker law Uber, Lyft, and others are fighting with a November ballot measure

* California's Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) went into effect in January, adopting a narrow definition of independent contractor that forces Uber and other gig economy businesses to choose between reclassifying workers as employees or risking significant liability for misclassification. * The law serves as a reminder to California businesses to be careful when classifying workers as contractors.  * Classifying independent contractors falls into two main categories: the "right to control" test (often called the "IRS test") and the tougher "ABC test" recently adopted in AB5. * Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have recently poured $30 million into Proposition 22 — a ballot measure intended to exempt major ridesharing and food delivery companies from AB5. If California residents vote the measure into effect in November, Uber and Lyft can continue classifying drivers as contractors.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In September 2019, Californ...
Read more

PayPal parts with top advertising executive after shifting its marketing strategy during the pandemic

* PayPal's chief creative officer Steve Simpson, its top advertising executive, left the company after about a year. * The move came after PayPal shifted its marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic, placing less emphasis on the brand and more on catering to small businesses, said a source with direct knowledge of the marketing operation. * Simpson's departure followed that of CMO and former Apple executive Allison Johnson in May. Both "decided to leave PayPal" as the company streamlines its global marketing functions, according to a PayPal spokeswoman. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. PayPal's highest-ranking ad executive Steve Simpson left earlier this month after just over a year as part of a restructuring of its global marketing business. Simpson, who was chief creative officer, was hired to make high-minded ad campaigns to help PayPal stand out from competitors like Square, Stripe, and Apple Pay. But this strategy chan...
Read more