Space Center Houston is calling on student teams to design an original mission patch inspired by a current or past NASA Artemis mission. Through research and creative design, students will explore the goals, purpose, and story of their selected mission, then communicate those ideas through symbols, colors, shapes, images, and words. Each patch should reflect the identity of the mission while demonstrating how STEM, innovation, exploration, and collaboration contribute to NASA’s return to the Moon and future missions beyond.
NASA’s Artemis missions are advancing human exploration of the Moon while building the skills, systems, and technologies needed for future missions. These missions depend on astronauts, engineers, scientists, technicians, mission controllers, and partners working together to solve complex problems and prepare for exploration beyond Earth.
Mission patches give a mission and its crew a visual identity. Through carefully chosen colors, symbols, images, words, and shapes, a patch can communicate the mission’s goals, values, people, technology, and place in the larger story of exploration.
The challenge is open to K-12 students from public and private schools in the United States. Review the Mission Patch Design Challenge Guide for rules and standards.
Student teams of 2–4 may submit one Mission Patch Design Challenge entry. Each submission must represent the original work of the team and be submitted through the official Space Center Houston submission form.
Mission Patch Design Judges will select the winning designs and winners will be announced in February 2027.
Top designs in each division will have their creations displayed in the Education Tent at the 2027 Space Center Houston Moon2Mars Festival, as well as on the Space Center Houston Mission Patch Design Challenge webpage. Award-winning teams in each division will receive two general admission tickets to Space Center Houston.
One Grand Prize design will be selected across all grade divisions. The winning team’s design will be developed into a physical patch with the support and collaboration of the Space Center Houston graphic artist team.
Please direct all questions about this program to the Space Center Houston STEM Innovation Program at [email protected].
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