File:NASA Astronaut Group 16 patch.png

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Summary

Description
English: The insignia for NASA's 16th group of astronaut trainees nicknamed as "The Sardines".
  • The Astronaut Class of 1996 entered the space program at a unique time in history. News about the possibility of past life on Mars revitalized interest in lunar and Martian exploration. Situated on a field of blue, the International Space Station, the moon and Mars represents the challenging mission in which the graduates hope to participate.
  • The field of 44 stars represents each of the members of the class, the largest in the history of the space program. As a tribute to the Challenger astronauts, seven additional stars from the constellation Volans. This constellation is one of six constellations that the ancient Greeks called Argos Navis, the ship which Jason and the Argonauts sailed in search of the Golden Fleece.
  • The infinity symbol represents the never ending effort of exploration and has the number 96 embedded in it, representing the year in which the class was selected. The streak emanating from the Earth's horizon and stretching through the moon and Mars, culminating in the gold astronaut symbol, is a tribute to the original seven Mercury astronauts.
  • Finaly, the eight flags bordering the patch represents the international composition of the Group XVI Astronaut Class.
Date
Source
Author NASA/Astronaut class group 16

Licensing

Public domain This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". (See Template:PD-USGov, NASA copyright policy page or JPL Image Use Policy.)
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Earth

Mars

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inception

1 May 1996

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current17:11, 10 April 2021Thumbnail for version as of 17:11, 10 April 20211,970 × 1,970 (405 KB)Ras67== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Information |description={{en|1=The insignia for NASA's 16th group of astronaut trainees nicknamed as "The Sardines". * The Astronaut Class of 1996 entered the space program at a unique time in history. News about the possibility of past life on Mars revitalized interest in lunar and Martian exploration. Situated on a field of blue, the International Space Station, the moon and Mars represents the challenging mission in which the graduates hope to participate. * The f...

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