Most people grow up imagining being an astronaut and going up to space, so it’s not too surprising that plenty of folks decide to get an astronaut tattoo. Astronauts are usually extremely smart, they wear very cool gear, and, ya know, they get to leave the planet! On top of that, most astronaut tattoos come with additional meanings, and they come in a bunch of cool designs.
In days like these, space and those things associated have been making a big comeback. People like Neil deGrasse Tyson are making all this information a lot more mainstream and making it more fun to learn about. Therefore, kids are getting involved in subjects involving space and astronauts at an earlier age.
Let’s go with the obvious astronaut tattoo meaning first. If an astronaut has been to space and wants a tattoo, it just makes sense that they would want to get an Astronaut tattoo, right? In these cases, they might get a tattoo of themselves in their spacesuit, or they might even get a completely unique astronaut tattoo design. However, something more likely would be getting something related to their training or the process of getting to where they were at. You might also see a NASA tattoo on an astronaut instead of an actual astronaut.
Another pretty obvious astronaut tattoo meaning has to do with when someone wants to be an astronaut. They are the type of people who have kept that dream alive well past their childhood and want to tell the world about it. They have thought about going to the moon or just leaving orbit and they want to encapsulate those images on their bodies. In other words, these could just be fans of space and astronauts and want to support the space program and people that explore space by getting an astronaut tattoo.
Someone who loves space might decide to get an astronaut tattoo rather than just getting stars, planets, and/or galaxies. These tattoo designs can range from just being an astronaut on the moon or the astronaut could be just one part of a larger tattoo. Either way, the owner is trying to send the message that they love the idea of floating around in space like a real astronaut.
Many Americans see astronauts as symbols of freedom, so they will get the astronaut tattoo to show their patriotism. America has gotten a lot of respect from around the world for countless things, but space was one of the biggest ones during the 20th century. These astronaut tattoos will usually include an astronaut and a flag, or the very popular image of an astronaut with the American flag on the moon.
Another popular astronaut tattoo meaning is “aiming for the stars.”
When this meaning is used, the owner is someone who wants a constant reminder to go after what they want in life. There are plenty of design choices when using this meaning, but the owners usually choose one that can be a constant source of inspiration.
A slightly rarer astronaut tattoo meaning has to do with science fiction. Since so many things having to do with science fiction happen in space, it’s no surprise that sci-fi lovers would get an astronaut tattoo for this reason. These tattoos can range from the very simple astronaut design to a more extravagant design with galaxies, planets, moons, and other elements.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why someone would decide to get an astronaut tattoo. Spacesuits look great on the skin, and they can look fantastic both in color and in black and white. The space race might not be as interesting as it once was, but it seems like the astronaut tattoo continues to get more and more popular.
Significant Space Moment Tattoos
There are many significant moments in space exploration in which an astronaut accomplished something that will be remembered. These specific moments can also be turned into an astronaut tattoo. You might see fans of space and space exploration with some of these tattoos.
Alan Shepard Portrait Tattoo
Alan Shepard is a famous American astronaut. He was the first American Astronaut in space which happened in 1961. He was also the second person to ever enter space overall. He took a sub-orbital trip that lasted a total of 15 minutes.
John Glenn Tattoo
John Glenn was another American astronaut. On February 20, 1961, Glenn orbited Earth and was the first American to do so.
Sally Ride Tattoo
Sally Ride rode Space Shuttle Challenger into space on June 18, 1983, for the mission STS-7. She was the first American woman to go into space. She is a symbol for women breaking through barriers and doing something most men had never done.
Alexei Leonov Tattoo
Alexei was the first person ever to conduct what we know as a spacewalk but also known as an extravehicular activity. He accomplished this feat on March 18, 1965. This happened on the Voskhod 2 mission for the Soviet Union, and this was followed up by American astronaut, Ed White who accomplished his space walk on NASA’s mission called Gemini 4.
Astronaut Tattoo Variations
There are many variations of astronaut tattoos. This is the case with most subjects, however, the astronaut tattoo has a connection to space and rockets, so you might see some of these incorporated. Below are a few examples of what we’ve seen.
Watercolor Astronaut Tattoo
Watercolor astronaut tattoos go together. This is because when you get the watercolor pattern, it can look very similar to how space and the universe might look. The wispy colors and different shades can be used to represent space behind the astronaut tattoo to make a very cool looking piece.
Major Tom Astronaut Tattoo
The Major Tom astronaut tattoo is based off the David Bowie hit, Space Odyssey. The image you might see representing would be an astronaut floating through space looking above him with his hands at his side. This classic song led to many tattoos being inked on the bodies of David Bowie fans and the astronaut is one of them.
Astronaut on the Moon Tattoo
This is a well-known tattoo that many fans of space or space exploration might look into. There are still arguments today if anyone actually landed on the moon, but the evidence shows us this was true and it was a milestone for mankind. This is why it is such a popular topic for those looking to get an astronaut tattoo.
Astronaut with Universe Tattoo
This might seem to be a bit vague but when you see an astronaut tattoo with the universe in the background, it might help you understand the vastness of space and how insignificant we are in comparison. It is said people are a speck of sand in comparison to our universe, so this tattoo might remind someone about how small we really are and might be a reminder of knowing your problems aren’t as big as you think they are.
Astronaut with Skull Tattoo
There are many variations of this tattoo. You might see a skull in the astronaut mask or a dead body floating in space. We’ve all seen enough movies to know that if you get stuck floating in space without any oxygen, you’re likely to die of suffocation or freezing to death. You might see this tattoo on someone that has an infatuation with death or it might also be a reminder of what can happen when you don’t respect the elements or space.
Whatever your reason for getting a tattoo, it is apparent you can go in many different directions. There are many astronauts that led the way for everyone doing it now that would be great candidates for a portrait tattoo or just general astronaut tattoos with other ideas attached to them. The point is that you should get a tattoo that makes you happy and if you need help finding an artist to complete your dream tattoo, let us know so we can help match you up with an artist.