Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One (PM1) is set to be the first US lander (and first commercial lunar lander) to touch down on the Moon since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. In anticipation of Peregrine’s launch into space later this year, Astrobotic has released a commemorative mission patch filled with some meaningful Easter (or more appropriately, peregrine) eggs.
The focal point of the patch is the peregrine falcon, majestically jetting towards its lunar destination. There are seven craters in the patch’s Moon design, representing the seven nations that are joining Astrobotic on its mission. The phase on the patch’s Moon graphic matches the real Moon’s phase that people will see at the time of Peregrine’s touchdown.
“We wanted to create a clean and modern design, but also reference previous historic missions. Utilizing our Peregrine bird imagery was a nod to NASA’s Apollo 11 patch – highlighting the historic significances and firsts that our mission accomplishes,” says Sarah Huth, Astrobotic’s graphic designer.
Peregrine’s namesake holds significance in a few different ways. The peregrine falcon is the most widely distributed bird of prey with a presence on every continent, minus Antarctica. Countless people and cultures from around the world are represented on Astrobtoic’s Peregrine lander. From the general public through the DHL MoonBox program, to space agencies like Agencia Espacial Mexicana and NASA, to companies like SpaceBit out of the UK, Peregrine will be carrying the dreams and aspirations of people all over the globe.
Peregrine falcons are also nimble and quick, clocking in at over 200mph and earning the title as fastest animal on the planet (yes, even faster than cheetahs). “Our Peregrine lander is aptly named to represent how Astrobotic has nimbly adapted to the many challenges and changing landscapes of the space sector,” says John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO.
“In terms of concept, we emphasized upwards movement, exploration, and the strength of our maiden voyage. Using the Astrobotic logo to lift the Peregrine towards the Moon captured the spirit of our team as we develop and prepare our own Peregrine lander for Mission 1,” says Huth. “Meaningful symbolism throughout the design tells our PM1 story every time it’s sewn onto a jacket or projected onto a screen.”
Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One patch will be available to the general public in the coming months through Astrobotic’s new online store, anticipated to launch in early April 2021.
About Astrobotic
Astrobotic is the Moon company and more. We develop advanced navigation, operation, and computing systems for spacecraft, and our fleet of lunar landers and rovers deliver payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals. To date, we have two fully funded lunar lander missions on the books, more than 50 prior and ongoing NASA and commercial technology contracts and a corporate sponsorship with DHL. Astrobotic was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
