Meet the Mascot of Hypatia III!
During the parabolic flight campaign taking place on May 8–9, 2026, Hypatia III needed a very special mascot to serve as a microgravity indicator. Its role is key: when the airplane is performing a parabola and we reach weightlessness, the mascot will start floating inside the airplane’s cabin, visually indicating that we are in zero gravity. This mascot will not only fly during the campaign, it will also become the official symbol of the Hypatia III crew and will travel with the team all the way to their Arctic mission in summer 2027.
The selection process was not easy, given the quality, creativity, and originality of the submitted designs. Among more than 200 incredible proposals, we selected three finalists who stood out not only for the originality of their designs, but also for their technical feasibility as three-dimensional models and for the meaning they conveyed, capturing the spirit of Hypatia.
The final decision was made by popular vote… in a very tight competition!
Winning Design
Mascot Name: Estela
Description: Estela is an explorer star that will travel to Mars with the crew to support the mission. She represents intelligence, courage, and the excitement of discovering new things. Her spacesuit allows her to explore, float in zero gravity, and join the scientists in their experiments. Her bow symbolizes equality and serves as a reminder that girls can go just as far in science. Estela is never afraid, because she knows that learning is a great adventure. With her light, she illuminates the path and shows that with effort, curiosity, and dreams, anything is possible
Designed by Sofía Sebastián Loktieva (9 years old)
Finalists
Mascot Name: Narvil
Description: We believe it should be the Hypatia mascot because it is an animal that lives in the Arctic and it is very original and curious. We also think it makes a great mascot because many people do not know about this animal, the narwhal, and this way they can discover something new. We have given it an astronaut helmet, a T-shirt with the planet Mars, and a sample experiment. It is about to explore the Arctic in order to learn more about Mars. It is very special because we think it is both curious and fun. For these reasons, it should be the Hypatia mascot.
Mascot Name: Helia
Description: Helia is a feather, light and fun, ready to travel to space and experience weightlessness. To choose her name, I though of balloons filled with helium gas, which float by overcoming gravity. Since it is also a girl’s name, she represents another female member of the crew. Her blue tones match your uniforms, and she also represents Catalonia through a small Senyera flag on her belt. She wears an “H” on her chest, standing for Hypatia and Helia.
The Prize:
- The winning design will become the official mascot of Hypatia III, flying with the crew during the parabolic flights and accompanying them all the way to the Arctic mission in 2027.
- The winner will have the unique opportunity to attend on May 9, 2026, at Sabadell Airport, to experience firsthand the preparation of the parabolic flights and meet the Hypatia scientists.
- The winner will receive an official space collaboration diploma, a 3D-printed version of the mascot, and the publication of their design on the official websites and social media channels of UPC, IEEC, and Hypatia Mars.
We would like to thank everyone who took part. The quality of the projects has been outstanding, and you have made the decision extremely difficult.
Here you can see the submitted projects:
Thank you for being part of this adventure!
Organizers and Collaborators
- Hypatia Mars: Hypatia Mars is a women-led organisation dedicated to advancing space research and science outreach, with the goal of highlighting female talent and inspiring future generations.
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC): UPC is a public university specialised in engineering, architecture, science and technology. It is well known for their higher education and high level research, as well as international knowledge transfer. UPC’s csmicroglab will carry out an experiment in human physiology.
- Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC): IEEC is a leading research center in space sciences, specialized in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology, Earth observation, navigation, and space technology. It promotes the development of space-related activities in Catalonia in the areas of education, research, and innovation.
- Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell: Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell is an organisation committed to pilot training and outreach of sport and private aviation. Based at Sabadell Airport, they offer pilot courses, aerial activities and other services related to aviation.
- Birkbeck College: Birkbeck, University of London is a public university specialised in social sciences, humanities and life sciences. It is part of the University of London and it is well-known for its research activities. Birkbeck’s “Vestibular x Space Neuroscience” laboratory will be carrying out a cognitive system experiment during this campaign.
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