NASA has added a powerful new symbol to its next crewed lunar mission: the America 250 emblem, now emblazoned on the twin solid rocket boosters of the Space Launch System (SLS) that will launch Artemis II around the Moon next year.
Revealed on Tuesday, the design reflects the America 250 Commission’s Spirit of Innovation theme — celebrating the nation’s 250 years of exploration, engineering breakthroughs and boundary-pushing ambition.
At the Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building — once home to Apollo’s Saturn V rockets — technicians spent weeks meticulously applying the emblem as engineers continued final testing of the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft. The work marks a major step toward NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.
Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, a milestone that sets the stage for future lunar landings and, ultimately, human missions to Mars. For NASA, the emblem is more than decoration — it is a declaration that America’s drive to explore remains as strong as ever.
From the Moon to Mars, Artemis is carrying the nation’s spirit of discovery into its next great chapter.