Historical Photo of the Month - October 2007

U.S.S. Voyager

Original Drawing

Logo Contest winner Hugh von Delden (rt.) with Voyager Project Manager Bob Parks

1978 Mug

In 1978 both Voyager spacecraft were on their way to Jupiter and a contest was held at JPL to find an amusing logo for a Voyager t-shirt and mug. Hugh von Delden, a temperature control hardware engineer at JPL, proposed the winning design. The illustration was done by artist Bill Haines, a friend of his. Von Delden had also won the design contest in 1975 for the official Mariner Jupiter/Saturn '77 logo, before the project was renamed Voyager.

The JPL Archives, established in 1989, has photos of the original U.S.S. Voyager line drawing and hand colored artwork. Unfortunately, the artwork itself was not saved, so Haines recreated the design using a computer and software, rather than paper and ink. The new design is shown above, courtesy of von Delden and Haines.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Voyager launch, the JPL Store will be selling a mug with the U.S.S. Voyager logo. It will be available later in October.

For more information about Voyager or about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: Photo albums and indexes, various issues of Universe, Hugh von Delden.]