Chongqing - On October 26 at 11:14 AM, a Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft and a crew of three astronauts, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert.
A Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft and a crew of three astronauts, lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert in northwest China on October 26, 2023. (Photo/Xinhua)
All three astronauts wore spacesuits adorned with the emblem for the Shenzhou XVII mission, a design created by Tan Haoyu, a graduate student from the 2022 class of the School of Design at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.
All three astronauts wear spacesuits adorned with the emblem of the Shenzhou XVII mission. (Photo/China Manned Space Agency)
As the emblem's creator, Tan was invited to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to witness the launch of Shenzhou XVII and see her work make its way into space.
"At the moment when the rocket ascended into the sky, I finally understood what it means to be a designer for the people," said Tan.
Tan Haoyu was invited to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to witness the launch of Shenzhou XVII and see her work make its way into space. (Photo/Deng Yan)
Tan couldn't contain her excitement. She admitted that it felt like a dream, and she was filled with immense pride. The astronauts and all the personnel at the launch center proudly wore the mission emblem. She felt like she was on the verge of tears when she saw the distant launch tower shrouded in billowing smoke and the deafening roar as the rocket soared into the sky. "It's an indescribable excitement and pride," she said.
The Shenzhou XVII mission emblem was designed by Tan Haoyu. (Photo/Tan Haoyu)
In February of this year, the China Manned Space Agency launched a call for designs for the spaceflight mission emblem. The School of Design at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute attached great importance to this call and actively encouraged students to participate, even forming a dedicated team of guiding teachers to provide support. Over the next few weeks, students and teachers worked tirelessly, day and night, to refine their designs.
During the design process, the team encountered numerous challenges. They were unfamiliar with the space station's structure and the precise relationship between the space station and the spacecraft, making it crucial to represent the space station's configuration in the emblem accurately. Guided by their teachers, the students collected a wealth of information from online sources, mapping out the entire evolution of the space station's structure from its inception to completion.
Tan believes that the design of the Shenzhou XVII emblem reflects not only her personal efforts but also the collective wisdom and dedication of the entire team. Reflecting on her educational journey at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, she emphasized the institute's educational philosophy, which teaches students not only to focus on acquiring technical skills but also to be socially aware and use design to serve the country's major needs, striving to become "designers for the people."
"Today, I watched the live broadcast of the Shenzhou XVII launch, and it felt like I was right there in Jiuquan, experiencing the electrifying atmosphere," said Hu Yongpan, one of the members of the guiding teacher team for emblem design. As an educator, he couldn't be prouder of his students' achievement.
Hu Yongpan emphasized that over the years, as they explored the realm of space design, he has come to realize that the demands for design in national events and major national projects have grown significantly. In the future, he will continue to use design to serve the nation's major needs and put into practice the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute's philosophy of nurturing "designers for the people," using design to showcase China's style, grandeur, and grace to the world.
