Title: Avionics and Instrumentation Branch (Code 421)
Designer: Wesley R. Burrus (AFRC)
Illustrator: Kirstin D. Sharrer (AFRC)
Contributors: Gustavo Carreno IV (AFRC) and David F. Ewers (AFRC)
Year it was designed: 2018
Explanation or story behind the logo: The logo was released on October 1, 2018, the date marking NASA’s 60th Anniversary of being an operational government agency. The use of the stars, Ascent Abort 2 (AA-2), and the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (X-59 / LBFD) in the design of the logo illustrates the organization’s continued support of aeronautics and space programs for NASA, highlighting the future of the Agency and the Branch’s contributions to aviation and human space exploration. The clouds and lightning are representative of the thunderous sound that the X-59 will strive to produce – a minimal boom as a result of supersonic flight. The lightning bolt, which also makes contact with the aircraft, symbolizes the connection of aviation with electronics, hence the hybrid-term “avionics.” The orange concentric circle with military-style connectors represents a large portion of the on-aircraft / on-payload research conducted by the Center – capturing the unrivaled aftermarket instrumentation installations Armstrong and the Branch are known for. The “421” on the design is the new organizational code assigned to the Branch that, until August of 2018, has been affectionately been known as “Code OA.” Lastly, the heading indication and horizon bar in the HUD symbology indicate that the Agency, which was deemed operational in “1958,” will continue to be reliant on the direction and support of this highly talented organization.