The Eagle-1 mission patch has landed

Eagle-1 will be the first space-based quantum key distribution system to be developed under a Partnership Project between ESA and a consortium of more than 20 European companies led by SES Techcom, with the support of the European Commission. From June 2024, the project will be progressing with the critical design review phase. During this phase, the main technological developments are evaluated by a panel of experts, including partners and stakeholders, to ensure they meet the set requirements. Alberto Rubio, Eagle-1 Project Manager at ESA, explained: “This is a big step for the Partnership Project, which brings Eagle-1 closer to becoming a reality. We saw the creation of the ESA mission patch as a consolidation of the project’s self-identity; a way to thank and recognise the effort of everyone involved and make them feel that they are part of the Eagle-1 family.”

The first step in the development of an ESA mission patch is to ensure that development of the patch matches ESA’s guidelines. Once this was agreed for Eagle-1, Alberto’s team put together a brief for ReMedia in Italy, who would be creating the designs.

As part of the background material sent to ReMedia, the Eagle-1 team provided some visual references, including a logo designed by SES Techcom and an ESA project visual that was also designed by ReMedia. The team sketched out their own idea for a mission patch, featuring the silhouette of an eagle in flight superimposed over a view of Earth from space, centred on Europe. It was decided not to use a satellite within the design as the patch would represent the full end to end system, including the many user and ground elements being developed.

The design brief also included key points, such as that the EU countries should be highlighted, the project name should be prominent and that it is important to show that Eagle-1 is a Partnership Project. The ESA logo would also need to be included, of course.

Marco Manca, Art Director and Production Director at ReMedia, said: “The input we received was very accurate. Most of our clients are engineers, so they have clear ideas about what they want to achieve. We started with something close to their initial vision, but then added two further suggestions, each more conceptualised than the last. We usually find that the middle one works the best and that was also true in this case!”

Closely following the mock up provided by Alberto’s team, the first draft design aimed to indicate the Eagle-1 satellite orbiting around Earth. Movement was implied through use of an eagle in flight, and light and shadow on the surface to suggest rotation. The area in light also emphasised the ESA Member States. The second design retains an eagle, but with its wing embracing the planet. Europe remains clearly visible, but Earth is less dominant. In the third design, the feeling of movement of the satellite was emphasised by turning the eagle into an arrow around the planet, following an orbit.

The colours used are based on the ESA corporate visual identity. ‘Pure teal’ is used for all Connectivity and Secure Communications visuals, while shades of ‘deep space’ blue are more neutral, and part of the core ESA palate.

The Eagle-1 team discussed all three options and agreed they were pleased with all the initial designs. The only major change they requested was the addition of the symbol for quantum physics. This symbol is based on a simplified diagram of the nucleus and three or four electrons of an atom. Other requests were for the eagle to look more like a bird of prey and for white to be less dominant, particularly for the colour of the bird.

With the mission patch having several potential future uses, it was important to ensure the design remained simple and bold. If it would be embroidered onto clothing, for example, then stitching could mask detail within the design. Therefore, options for the addition of the quantum icon were carefully considered by ReMedia. They wanted to keep all designs simple and easy to understand, while remaining visually appealing. “We focused on the detail during this round of design, such as colour shades that work well together,” explained Marco. “For example, we outlined the letters so they stood out against the globe. We wanted to keep a balance amongst the elements of the layout, while using white as a visible indication that the ESA logo and Eagle-1 name were the main elements of the design.”

Alberto’s team were so pleased with the designs that they didn’t feel a further round was required. “The team all voted on their favourite design of the six and we selected the most popular one. I really enjoyed the process and being so involved in the design, and I think the team enjoyed it too. We had plenty of ideas and are pleased with what ReMedia have produced. It is visually attractive; the colours bring attention to the eagle while keeping the name highlighted. I am looking forward to this becoming part of the project identity,” concluded Alberto.