High School Freshman Wins HERA Patch Design Contest

by Monica Edwards | 2023-12-11

Fifteen-year-old Baylee Barnwell was as surprised as she was elated to discover she won the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) patch design contest coordinated by HERA and Space Center Houston.

Her patch, chosen from 49 entries, will serve as a symbol for a series of simulated missions to Mars that researchers will carry out using HERA beginning next year. Research volunteers will live and work like astronauts inside the facility for 45 days, while participating in a variety of human health studies to help NASA prepare for a real human expedition to the Red Planet.

Image of a person holding a patch in front of a white facility. — *Local ninth-grader Baylee Barnwell showcases her winning patch design for HERA’s new set of missions in front of the HERA habitat. Credit: NASA*

“I was very excited when I found out I won,” Barnwell said. For her design inspiration, Barnwell said she “looked at some of the previous [HERA] patches, as well as upcoming missions like Artemis.”

NASA analogs collaborated with Space Center Houston to sponsor the contest, targeting students from grades 6 to 12, aiming to acquire a graphic identifier for the upcoming HERA Campaign 7 missions. The judging panel consisted of a six-person committee of Human Research Program managers, including Ted Babic, HERA operations lead, who praised Barnwell's design.

“Baylee’s patch was well put together. It had a nice color scheme. It touched on diversity, and it incorporated a lot of elements related to HERA,” he said.

Crystal Del Rosso, strategic analog lead for the Human Health and Performance Directorate, noted Barnwell's understanding of the cultural diversity study on HERA missions and the importance of international relations. She said, “It is interesting that she got the United Arab Emirates flag and the U.S.A. flag inside the word HERA. It took research on her part to know about this collaboration.”

HERA management plans to feature Barnwell's patch on the outside of the door into HERA for each mission, alongside mission patches designed by each crew. Additionally, the patch may find its way onto flight suits, stickers, patches, and more. Barnwell and her family received a tour of HERA for winning the contest.

Barnwell is a freshman at Clear Lake High School and is contemplating a future career in forensics and medicine.