The iconic T-38 jets flown by astronauts just got a spiffy new look

NASA has unveiled a fresh paint design for one of its iconic Northrop T-38 Talon supersonic trainer jets, marking the first major aesthetic change for the fleet in decades.

The updated look, known as the Artemis livery, is designed to celebrate and draw attention to the agency's upcoming lunar exploration missions. Designed by a project pilot within the Aircraft Operations Division, the new color scheme trades the traditional blue stripe for a stark black-and-white motif adorned with red and blue stripes, alongside depictions of the Moon and the official Artemis program logo. This specific aircraft, designated as tail number N924NA, received the upgrade as part of its scheduled routine maintenance cycle, and plans are already underway to eventually apply a similar, though slightly modified, design to a second training jet.

These two-seat supersonic jets have served as critical training platforms for astronauts since the early 1960s, helping them adapt to the high-stress, fast-paced environments they will encounter during spaceflight. While the public often wonders if the aircraft themselves travel into space, their primary purpose remains building flight proficiency and preparation on Earth. The new paint scheme comes at a pivotal moment as NASA and its international partners prepare for the Artemis III mission, which aims to test docking procedures in orbit before ultimately landing humans back on the lunar surface. By updating the visual identity of these workhorse jets, officials hope to better bridge the communication gap between basic flight preparation and the grander goals of reaching the Moon and Mars.