In spaceflight, mission patches have always been deeply symbolic – they serve as identifiers but also as emblems of identity and purpose. For Aphelion, our fictional Hope-01 mission patch has been designed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and bridges the history of space exploration with the speculative future that our story explores.
The patch features two defining elements: Persephone, and the space shuttle that carries our astronauts there, the Horizon Shuttle IV.
Persephone is humanity’s last hope in the face of the increasing severity of climate change on Earth. It is a cold, hostile, frozen world. But it harbors an unexplained heat Source that allows liquid water to exist, and with it, the hope of a possible new habitat for mankind. After an unprecedented effort, a manned mission was launched to determine the planet’s habitability.
It is named after Persephone, the goddess of the underworld and fertility, in reference to mankind's hope of finding a fertile home in the darkness of the farthest reaches of the solar system.
The design of Persephone in the patch is deliberately minimalist to preserve its mystery and allure. It encourages players – as the game’s protagonists must – to wonder what lies in store for them on this previously unexplored planet. It is a symbol and a reminder of how little we know and how much is left to discover.
The shuttle carrying ESA astronauts Ariane Montclair and Thomas Cross is not a copy of any modern shuttle, nor is it a wholly futuristic vessel. It is something between – a bridge between present and future. Aphelion takes place in a near future that diverges from our own, but the technology is still realistic and recognisable. The shuttle represents possibility and hope.
In summary, the Hope-01 patch represents the themes of Aphelion: hope, mystery, and the courage to leave behind what we know and step into uncharted territory.
Check ESA's official patch article here.
Follow DON’T NOD on social media to keep abreast of Aphelion news: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.