HOUSTON — They say the sky's the limit, but in the case of Alexandra Lindgren, her story is out of this world.
NASA's SpaceX Crew 4 is orbiting Earth while doing research on board the International Space Station. The international crew of astronauts will serve as the fourth commercial crew rotation mission aboard the ISS.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit on April 27. Mission Commander Kjell Lindgren, Pilot Bob Hines and Mission Specialist Jessica Watkins are NASA astronauts. Samantha Cristoforetti a European Space Agency Mission Specialist rounds out the crew.
Their mission patch was designed by Alexandra, a Texas A&M student set to graduate in 2023. The Houston native told KHOU 11 she’s studying art and science. “I’d love to work in movies or video games someday,” said 20-year-old Alexandra. For a college student who is still finding her footing, she’s already made a place for herself in history.
Her father couldn’t be more proud.
“My dad has always been one of the biggest supporters of my art and he approached me, if I could come up with some designs for the patch.”
Her father is 49-year-old NASA astronaut and Crew 4 Mission Commander Kjell Lindgren. His daughter said the design request came in 2020.
“You know when I was doing it, it felt like something pretty little, you know, sort of as a favor.”
Alexandra said she spent a day designing three digital sketches. The astronauts then made their choice and a NASA artist added the finishing touches.
Astronaut Kjell Lindgren first tweeted an image of the patch in December 2021, sharing the meaning behind the intricate design:
“Rays of light streak across the inky blackness of space, preceding the dawn of a new chapter in human spaceflight. The free-flying Dragon capsule forms the thorax of the central element of the patch, the Dragonfly – a beautiful and agile flyer. For many, the dragonfly represents transformation and good fortune. On its way to the International Space Station, the capsule appears suspended in low Earth orbit with the Earth below and Moon above. Four bright stars represent the four crewmembers’ families and their steadfast patience, love and support. The remaining multitude of stars represent the countless members of the NASA, SpaceX and international partner teams, whose ingenuity, vigilance and tireless work has made this mission possible.”
Of the Crew 4 Mission, a spokesperson for NASA writes:
“The Crew-4 astronauts will spend several months aboard the space station conducting new scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth.
The Crew-4 mission continues NASA’s efforts to maintain American leadership in human spaceflight. Regular, long-duration commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars, starting with the agency’s Artemis missions, which includes landing the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.”
“It’s been really cool to see how much people like it,” said Alexandra who admits she hasn’t publicly shared much about her connection to the Crew 4 Mission. “I haven’t been super vocal about it at school.”
Aggieland is beaming with pride. Texas A&M tweeted about the young artist with a bright future on Wednesday. The social media post included the connection to Alexandra’s father who is orbiting earth with his heart on his sleeve.
When asked by KHOU 11 if the patch design project was the ultimate dad/daughter moment, Alexandra replied, “it really is.”