NASA Artemis Instagram Account

iPhone screen clippings
April 2018–now

Above pictures the official instagram account of the Artemis program, a NASA initiative for moon travel as a stepping stone for Mars travel. 1 While political materials during the Apollo missions (1960s) featured primarily print media, digital media has a greater presence today. In contemporary graphic design, Instagram has been a way organizations curate an aesthetic and political statement. 2

In figure 1, the instagram bio shows us that the Artemis missions prioritize diversity. The writing also nods to verbiage from the Apollo missions: “take the next giant leap with us.” In figure 2, video is a key design strategy. This marks a change from the illustration styles seen in previous political materials. In figure 3, NASA appeals to children and parents. The playful photography draws attention to space travel and presents space travel as a desirable and exciting field.

1 NASA Artemis [@nasaartemis]. (n.d.). IGTV [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from https://www.instagram.com/nasaartemis/?hl=en

2 Manovich, Lev. “Instagram and contemporary image.” (2017).