Oskar Pernefeldt, a student at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm, has come up with what many people are saying is a beautiful flag that not only represents the Earth, but perhaps shows a planet where all nations are united in a common goal.
The flag has a blue background with seven interlocking circles, possibly representing the continents, but forming a flower, a symbol of life on Earth. The particular shade of blue used in the flag not only symbolizes the abundance of water on our planet, but was chosen because it stands out on a white space suit or in the blackness of space. The interlocking circles also reminds us that regardless of nationality, we share this planet and would stand as one in our intergalactic accomplishments.
“Current expeditions in outer space use different national flags depending on which country is funding the voyage. The space travelers, however, are more than just representatives of their own countries. They are representatives of planet Earth,” Pernefeldt wrote on his project’s website, according to mnn.com.
While Pernefeldt’s flag design may not be the first Earth flag ever created, one thing is for sure, space exploration is very expensive and requires international cooperation, just as we have done with the International Space Station. Any missions to Mars and other distant planets will need collaboration as well as the cooperation of many nations.
The flag project website does not mention the international flag’s use by any space agency, but Pemefeldt did supply pictures of the flag being used on a space suit and on a Mars base in Antarctica. Pemefeldt also acknowledged the help of several agencies on his website, including NASA, LG Electronics and a number of experts in astronomy, design and chemistry, among others.