NASA wants you! But just to design its logo

“You’re NASA for cryin’ out loud, you put a man on the moon, you’re geniuses!”

This line delivered by actor Bruce Willis’s character in the 1998 film Armageddon — where a bunch of American deep core drillers are NASA’s answer to blowing up an asteroid that threatens to destroy Earth — probably sums up most people’s impression about the famous space agency.

Therefore, it’s almost unbelievable that they are seeking outside help to design a logo for its In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) project.

However, NASA Center of Excellence and Collaborative Innovation Deputy Manager Steven Rader said it’s not the first time the aeronautical alliance has issued a crowdsourcing challenge on online jobs marketplace platform Freelancer.com.

“We have received some really great designs in past challenges posted on Freelancer.com,” said Rader.

“Once again, we’re leveraging the Freelancer community by engaging the crowd to design a logo for a project that is crucial in advancing deep space exploration.”

The ISM is responsible for developing the manufacturing capabilities that will provide on-demand, sustainable operations during NASA Exploration Missions (in-transit and on-surface).

This includes projects like developing a 3D printing Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) that will allow astronauts to manufacture parts in space as needed.

In 2015, the ISM project made history by sending the first 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) and manufacturing the first parts ever in space.

So where do you come in?

To enter the NASA In-Space Manufacturing Logo Challenge, you must design and upload a logo that graphically conveys the “key theme of space exploration and on-demand manufacturing/repair”.

The judging criterion is surprisingly rather simple too.

It asks participants to question whether their logo meets the requirements as stated within the challenge; looks fresh, professional, and clean; and captures the ISM Project.

Besides the glory of having your design featured on presentation materials developed by the project, on team items (shirts, mugs, etc) and in materials developed for education and public outreach, there’s also a small cash prize.

For more information on the challenge, click here.

Image credit: Astronaut holding up a 3D printed tool in the ISS. Image courtesy of NASA.