The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has achieved outstanding breakthroughs in aeronautics and space exploration since its foundation during the Cold War. NASA missions have not only brought new advances in science and technology, but have also inspired the scientists and engineers of the future, and had a significant impact on the arts. The aim of my thesis is to provide a comprehensive overview of how NASA has become a globally prominent brand, to analyse the events that propelled its rise and the impact it has had. My thesis describes NASA's visual identity, and within that, the creative process behind the origins of the 'Meatball' insignia and the 'Worm' logotype. It looks back on how the two logos were received and how they replaced each other, and later how and why they started to appear together. It also discusses the rules on the use of graphical elements, and finally, I summarise the results of my research.