Graduate Student Designs Logo for Shenzhou-17 Spaceflight Mission

Chongqing - The China Manned Space Agency announced the design of the mission logos for the cargo craft Tianzhou-6 and the crewed spaceships Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 on March 21. Tan Haoyu, a student at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing, created the design for the Shenzhou-17 mission.

Tan Haoyu, a student at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing, created the design for the Shenzhou-17 mission. (Photo/Tan Haoyu)

In February, the China Manned Space Agency publicly solicited designs for the logos from the public for the first time in history. Over 1,500 designs were submitted by more than 500 organizations, units, and individuals from the country. Tan's design was the only student submission selected for the Shenzhou-17 mission.

The official logo for the Shenzhou-17 mission, created by Tan, features a balanced composition with the forward docking port of the spacecraft shown in the center. The tail flame of the spacecraft is combined with the number "17," producing a powerful visual impact symbolizing the vigorous development of China's manned space program.

The official logo for the Shenzhou-17 mission. (Photo/Tan Haoyu)

When the Shenzhou-17 is launched in October this year, Tan will be invited to witness the launch at the space center, where she will see the Chinese astronauts donning spacesuits emblazoned with her design.

"I can't believe it! But I'm grateful to my past self for having a dream and persisting. I hope to continue to work hard and create more good works in the future," Tan said.

Tan is a first-year graduate student in the Visual Communication Design department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Tan recalled that she joined the institute's design team on February 24. Since she was unfamiliar with aerospace before, she did a lot of research before starting to sketch. From concept to submission, Tan spent 11 days on the final design. She constantly refined and optimized the logo during the design process until the deadline.

The team analyzed a large amount of scientific information and data to design the logo. (Photo/Tan Haoyu)

According to Hu Yongpan, a teacher at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute who helped the students, both undergraduate and graduate students, participated in the logo design competition. The team analyzed a large amount of scientific information and data, understood the space station's configuration changes from construction to completion, and learned about every spacecraft involved in the mission.