Shepard Fairey designs a mission patch for the ISS ARK1

When the feds start commissioning space decor from graffiti artists turned global fashion brands, you know that cyberpunk has arrived:

Artist Shepard Fairey may be best known for Obey Giant and his Barack Obama "Hope" poster, but his latest work will be conquering an entirely different realm: outer space. The artist has designed the patch for an upcoming mission to the International Space Station called ARK1 — Advanced Science and Research — that will run from September 2013 through March 2014. ARK1 will be the first flight managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), a non-profit organization that was set up by the US Congress in order to help promote research aboard the ISS.

Artist Shepard Fairey creates patch for new International Space Station mission

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: design • happy mutants • Space

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artbrau

We are spending taxpayer dollars on “bringing home the magic of space?” Groan. I thought that was LucasFilms’ job. At least it’s out in the open now.
- http://imcravingpresidency.tumblr.com/ SedanChair
  
  FUCK WONDER
- Brainspore
  
  We certainly can’t leave the magic IN space where any ne’er do well dark space wizard could find it.
Tim Drage

…or that graffiti has left.
franko

well, *i* like it.
http://twitter.com/karlwilliams Karl Williams

It’s not a groundbreaking design but it fits nicely with previous mission patches and looks pretty damn cool.

If anyone complains about the US’s space budget then I suggest that they look up the figure compared to “defense” spending.
- Ramone
  
  Compared to most mission patches, it’s quite nice indeed. Many are just blobs of iconography — this looks well designed.
http://www.tavie.com Tavie

geodesic domes give me a happy feeling
Birches Leaves

Romulan insignia?

http://t6ak.roblox.com/6c82d491579e2be579ceba5db09821ca
jenjen

That’s pretty cool! I’m really impressed with what folks involved with the space program are doing these days to get folks excited and supportive of continuing the missions. The social media stuff they’ve been doing with the Mars missions and the ISS are awesome, and putting this kind of activity at arms-length through a nonprofit also makes a ton of sense. Good on them for getting a high profile person like Fairey on board.
- dr
  
  Not just these days; NASA hired Laurie Anderson to be their artist-in-residence a decade ago.
http://egypt.urnash.com Egypt Urnash

wait what it can’t be Fairey, it uses colors besides off-white, red, and black.
http://twitter.com/NelC NelC

I want to see the patch for the ‘B’ Ark now.
Brainspore

I bet there’s one of those “Andre the Giant has a Posse” stickers somewhere on the space station.
Paper Kosmonaut

Unfortunately, the ISS configuration shown in the patch is completely wrong. The Russian solar panel pack on top has never been realised.
EH

Only took 3 comments for the obligatory anti-intellectual entry.