What’s the Story Behind the Space Force
Flag? Of all the U.S. Armed Forces flags, we think
it’s fair to say that the Space Force flag stands alone. For better
or worse, this is generally the agreed-upon notion. Some love the
flag, and others despise its comic-book feel (some even think it was
ripped directly from Star Trek). Will you change your mind once you
discover why the Space Force flag looks the way it does? The
Design of the Space Force Flag The flag was first unveiled in 2020 at the
White House by President Trump. Because of this, some have called it
“Trump’s Space Force flag;” however, many elements of the ag itself
were created long before Trump’s administration took office, and
some aspects of it were created before the Space Force itself was
even a thing. The U.S. Space Force flag is a perfect visual
representation of the USSF’s missions. It shows what looks like a
silver, beveled arrowhead on top of a globe spinning in its
elliptical orbit with the Polaris star and star clusters all around
it. This is all topped off by the black background to represent, of
course, the vastness and literal blackness of space. Below this imagery are the words “UNITED STATES
SPACE FORCE” with “MMXIX” underneath that, both in white. MMXIX is
the Roman numeral representation of 2019, which is the year the
Space Force was founded. The arrowhead mentioned above isn’t actually an arrowhead, however. It’s the simplified representation of the Delta wing, also called the Delta symbol, used throughout official USSF seals, emblems, and flags. The Delta has several elements that make it a vital part of the United States Space Force flag. The
Meaning behind the Space Force Flag’s Delta Wing
The
Delta was created and used for the first time in 1961 within the
USAF. Though simplified in the Space Force flag, the Delta is a
beautifully complex icon that perfectly embodies the USSF’s
heritage, missions, and place in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Delta is an upward-pointing arrow with four
points. There’s a star in the middle, four beveled elements,
interior spires, negative space, and an outer border that all have
important meanings. The outer border symbolizes their dedication to
the protection and defense of the space domain. The black negative space between elements
represents the vastness of deep space. The beveling represents the four branches of
the United States Armed Forces that support the USSF’s missions: Air
Force, Army, Marines, and Navy. The two interior spires symbolize a rocket
being launched into space. The star in the middle is Polaris, a guiding
star that represents how the USSF’s core values will continue to
guide them through each mission they embark on. U.S.
Space Force Flag vs. Star Trek Some people just can’t take the Space Force
flags seriously because they look too similar to the Star Trek flag
for the United Federation of Planets Starfleet Command. How much is
the Space Force flag like Star Trek, really? We think the
similarities are quite shocking. Star Trek’s flag uses a symbol that looks
incredibly similar to that of the USSF’s Delta. They also have a
star in the middle of the Delta, an elliptical orbit, and star-like
clusters in the background. Though the colors aren’t the same, the
similarities are undeniable. Did the military blatantly rip off the
much-beloved Sci-Fi franchise? Many
people, including original James T. Kirk actor William Shatner, say
this isn’t the case. According to an op-ed piece written by Shatner
for Military Times, “Star Trek has borrowed so much of its iconic
rank symbols from the U.S. military and NASA. When you unveiled the
Space Force logo, many immediately saw it as an homage to ‘Star
Trek’ (even though our Delta was an homage to the previous military
space insignias).” As much
of the Star Trek universe already shows parallels to general
military structures, it makes sense that the creators and design
leads would take inspiration from real-world military iconography to
make their shows and movies truer to real life (at least, as much as
possible). The
Space Force Flag Perfectly Represents the Branch For us, we think the Space Force flag is a perfect representation of everything the USSF does and embodies. Regardless of anyone’s opinions on the flag, it’s sure to remain a mainstay for the branch for many, many years to come. A special video on this link : ===> Space Force Video
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