President Donald Trump unveiled the new US Space Force logo on Friday -- which seems to boldly go where one logo has gone before.
Trump posted an image on Twitter of the insignia for the newest branch of the US military, drawing immediate comparisons of the new logo to the "Star Trek" Starfleet Starship duty insignia. The logo is also similar to the insignia of the Air Force Space Command, which was the precursor to the Space Force, hosting 16,000 active duty airmen and civilians.
"After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military!" the 45th President tweeted.
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A Space Force spokesperson said in a statement that the seal unveiled by Trump is, in fact, the new official logo.
"The US Space Force seal honors the Department of the Air Force's proud history and long-standing record of providing the best space capabilities in the world," the spokesperson said. "The delta symbol, the central design element in the seal, was first used as early as 1942 by the U.S. Army Air Forces; and was used in early Air Force space organization emblems dating back to 1961. Since then, the delta symbol has been a prominent feature in military space community emblems."
Maj. William Russell, a separate Space Force spokesperson, said Trump chose the new logo from a series of options presented by the Department of the Air Force.
The similarities between the apparent Space Force logo and the "Star Trek" logo were immediately apparent to many Twitter users -- including one who was on the classic science fiction show.
George Takei, an actor who played Hikaru Sulu in the "Star Trek" series and is a vocal opponent of Trump, responded to the tweet by saying, "Ahem. We are expecting some royalties from this..."
In December, when Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law, he also created the newest military service and the first new service since the US Air Force came into being in 1947. The Space Force is a branch of the military under the Department of the Air Force -- as noted in the logo tweeted by Trump -- in the same way that the Marines are their own branch of the military but are within the Department of the Navy.
CNN's Ryan Browne contributed to this report.
Here are some tidbits from Star Trek's many iterations:
Tidbits from Star Trek's many iterations
Interracial kissing on television was unheard of
The sci-fi show “Star Trek” broke barriers when it premiered the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren” on NBC in 1968. Capt. Kirk and Lt. Uhura share the first scripted interracial kiss ever shown on American television in the episode. That act helped to destigmatize interracial relationships on- and off-screen.
1966: Star Trek (1966–1969)
- IMDb rating: 8.3 - IMDb user votes: 64,611 - Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols “Star Trek” debuted in 1966 and ran for three seasons, but no one could have anticipated that it would go where few TV shows have gone. The enormously successful franchise for both television and film even generated its own demographic, otherwise known as “Trekkies.” Starring William Shatner as Captain Kirk, the crew of the Starship Enterprise explored the galaxy and interacted with the various inhabitants they found. Episodes of the original series are available on Netflix and CBS All Access.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Released: 1982 Stacker Score: 78.25 IMDb Rating: 7.7 Metascore: 71 Tomatometer: 88% Typically considered the best of the original arc of “Star Trek” films, “Wrath of Kahn” stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley. Gene Roddenberry was removed from a central role in the film because producers attributed the previous “Star Trek” films’ lack of success to his shortcomings. Despite that, the movie seemed to please hardcore and casual fans alike. In it, Admiral Kirk (Shatner) must thwart his longtime adversary Khan (Ricardo Montalban) who seeks to use the Genesis Device as a destructive weapon.
1987: Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
- IMDb rating: 8.6 - IMDb user votes: 83,728 - Stars: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton A continuation of the "Star Trek" franchise, "Star Trek: The Next Generation” made its debut in 1987. It starred Patrick Stewart as the fearless Jean-Luc Picard, leading his crew on new adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series ran from 1987 to 1994 and is currently available on Netflix.
William Shatner
While many sci-fi fans still associate William Shatner with “Star Trek,” the veteran actor has become equally identified with bargain-hunting travel site Priceline, where he’s served as a pitchman since 1998. Shatner is now 87, and is still associated with the brand as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
