“For All Mankind” has received significant acclaim since its debut on Apple TV in 2019, and is regarded as one of the top alternate history TV series available for streaming at the moment. However, if you’ve viewed the show, you may have observed an intriguing design aspect. While “For All Mankind” features a wealth of invented science fiction elements, it also incorporates the NASA logo, albeit with a few alterations.
Rather than the authentic NASA emblem, the logo seen in “For All Mankind” has some notable modifications. Primarily, on the meatball-style logo, the red vector points in the reverse direction and moves behind the blue circle instead of crossing the front. Additionally, you’ll see that the circular “orbit” encircling the A and S letters in NASA has been adjusted.
Given the show’s homage to astronauts and the space race in general, you may wonder why the creators opted for a fictional NASA logo instead of the genuine article. Ron Moore, the creator of “For All Mankind,” explained that this decision was made to honor NASA’s regulations concerning the usage of its logo and branding.
Honoring NASA’s preferences
In a 2019 discussion with various media outlets, Moore and others associated with the project — including former NASA personnel — shared insights about the series. Moore disclosed why “For All Mankind” utilized a version of the NASA logo. He clarified that the alteration wasn’t due to any complications with the space agency, which some might have surmised given the show’s alternate history.
Rather, it was implemented to adhere to the branding policies NASA enforces, which essentially dictate that any use of the official NASA logo must accurately depict events as they unfolded. This is why the official logo appears in films based on true events, but not in alternative history shows like “For All Mankind.”
Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut who served as a technical consultant on the series, revealed that they made attempts to secure the agency’s permission for the logo’s usage. However, considering the timing — just prior to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission — it appeared to be too much to request from NASA.
Not an isolated issue for this series
Another participant in the interview, Gerald Griffin — who was a NASA flight director during the Apollo period — pointed out that this situation is not specific to “For All Mankind.” Moore further hypothesized that it could be partially connected to circulating notions about the Moon mission being fabricated. Ultimately, Griffin asserts that everything the agency handles is subjected to heightened scrutiny, and with the Artemis missions currently in progress, that attention is likely to escalate as more individuals focus on NASA’s developments.
However, considering how swiftly this space race series has emerged as a contemporary sci-fi classic, it’s likely a wise choice for the creators to err on the side of caution and utilize an unofficial logo, particularly given NASA’s centrality to the alternate historical narrative unfolding in the show. The story’s timeline extends from the Apollo missions into the 2010s. That encompasses a considerable expanse of newly conceived history, and employing the official NASA logo would probably have necessitated ongoing authorization for the plotlines, which would be difficult at best.