NASA Emblems: A Guide to Collecting

For millennia humankind has wondered at the stars and planets that can be seen in the night sky. In the second half of the 20th century, we made our first explorations beyond our native planet. A major contributor to this exploration has been and still is the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration commonly known as NASA.


Over the 50+ years that NASA has been actively involved in space exploration, it has carried out hundreds of missions. Most of the missions have been identified by art work which is used on objects ranging from the space craft itself to uniforms and sometimes cocktail glasses. The emblems are most commonly found on cloth patches and lapel pins but they also appear on commemorative coins, china, and a host of other souvenir products.


Collecting these emblems can be an interesting way to explore the history of space flight and the science of the cosmos. Each emblem is a work of art in its own right and it also tells a story of the mission and the people who made it possible. 


This guide serves as an introduction for the beginning collector of NASA Emblems and may clarify some questions for the experienced collector. It provides the introduction to an avocation that can last a lifetime.