Space Tango: Microgravity research and manufacturing
Space Tango is one of a handful of private companies to hold a coveted Space Act Agreement with NASA. The agreement permits a unique advantage – a permanent spot on the International Space Station (ISS), where gravity is reduced by nearly 90%. Space Tango designs and builds experiments into CubeLabs, compact smart containers that are able to run autonomously and provide near real-time data and monitoring capabilities once docked on the ISS.
Space Tango’s approach to microgravity research and manufacturing is changing the game. The possibility is incredible. But, communicating their wide scope of work and vision for what benefit it could bring for life on Earth poses a challenge.
Space Tango’s mission has expanded. At the start, most of the payloads launched contained academic research. Today, their clients include Fortune 500 companies and research foundations, along with leading academic universities. Launches include everything from fiber-optic cable and biological material in varying growth phases to barley for beer. The team is driven to further increase accessibility to the microgravity environment. They see a future in which research is not limited by gravity, industry, or Earth application.
The company is catching attention around the world. They needed an identity that communicates their cutting-edge work in an accessible way. We were hired to demonstrate their vision through design, and articulate it with language.
An audit of the industry landscape revealed technical language the industry shared within itself, without an accessible translation for the broader public. The client survey confirmed a lack of understanding of the vision. Clarity was key. We stepped up to the challenge.
Space Tango is based in Lexington, KY, but their presence is global. The identity needed to be simple and impactful. It had to represent their laser-focus on improving life on Earth. Leave space to grow into future pursuits. Anticipate the unpredictable. And, communicate their vision to potential clients, partners, and the world with clarity and cohesion.
We explored visualizations of orbit, connection, momentum. We took our ideas to their team, honed iterations together. The symbol that resulted is open, driven by a central circle representing Earth. Just like their vision.
The visual identity is built out to be as dynamic and memorable – in significance and application – as the company. The symbol itself alludes to movement. When animated, it mimics orbit. The foundational tagline, Open Orbit, captures this sentiment. Their primary red color is vibrant and connects Space Tango’s work on the ground to their presence on the ISS.
We worked closely with their team to implement the new brand across all touchpoints. A critical piece was translating it to the website. We designed an immersive experience inviting viewers to explore the work and share in the vision.
Space Tango is not limited by gravity, industry, or assumptions of possibility, but rather is grounded by an Earth-centric drive. With a new brand also rooted in this vision, this company can go anywhere.
