ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt's first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin – Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolise the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.

According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and adviso rs to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as passion and emotion, linking to Marcus’s enthusiasm for spaceflight.

Muninn is depicted gliding around Earth to share the knowledge collected from Marcus’s mission. The dark blue circle represents Earth and includes lighter lines depicting Marcus’s homeland, Sweden. The patch displays the two colours of the Swedish flag – blue and yellow.

The two white stripes next to Muninn’s upper wing refer to the distinctive solar arrays of a space station, Marcus’s future home in space.

The stars resemble a Viking symbol for protection. The stars also remind Marcus of the beauty of snowflakes in cold winter days in Sweden.

The lines originating from Muninn’s lower wing reference supersonic shock waves from jets, Marcus is a test pilot for the Swedish Air Force.

©ESA–K. Lochtenberg