TAMIU Announces Mission Antares Badge Design Challenge
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) President Dr. Christopher Maynard has announced a community-wide design competition to create the official mission badge for Mission Antares 1, a flagship initiative advancing South Texas as a hub for space education, innovation, and workforce development.
The Mission Antares Badge Design Challenge, taking place throughout Summer 2026, invites students, educators, artists, and community members from across the region to contribute original designs that visually capture the spirit, ambition, and identity of the Antares mission.
Announcing the challenge, President Maynard said the initiative reflects TAMIU’s commitment to expanding educational opportunity and advancing innovation across South Texas.
“This challenge reflects our core mission at TAMIU - to transform lives through higher education and to serve as a social catalyst for South Texas,” Maynard said, “As one of the state’s fastest-growing universities and a proud member of The Texas A&M University System, we are committed to expanding opportunity, strengthening workforce pathways, and positioning our region as a leader in innovation. Mission Antares embodies that commitment - connecting our students and community to global opportunities in STEM while honoring the ambition and potential that define TAMIU.”
The Antares initiative, anchored at TAMIU and delivered in partnership with regional and global collaborators, focuses on hands-on STEM learning, leadership development, and career pathways in the space economy.
Participants in the badge competition will be encouraged to incorporate the Antares star, “Heart of the Scorpion," symbolizing shared skies across borders; themes of exploration, resilience, and innovation; the identity and aspirations of the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo binational region; and visual connections to space science, technology, and future careers.
The winning design will serve as an official badge of the Antares missions and will be featured across program materials, student gear, and national outreach efforts.
Mission Antares is a flagship STEM engagement initiative designed to position South Texas as a leader in space education and workforce development. Through immersive, hands-on experiences and strategic partnerships, the program creates pathways from early learning to advanced study and careers in the space sector, reinforcing TAMIU’s role as an engine of opportunity for the region and beyond.
For more information, please contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180 or email prmis@tamiu.edu.
Registration for Summer and Fall 2026 classes at TAMIU is underway online via Uconnect. To learn more about TAMIU’s Registration processes, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at go.tamiu.edu/registration.
More on the University’s story is available at www.tamiu.edu and on the University’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Threads.
