Ad astra

For other uses, see Ad astra (disambiguation).

"Per aspera ad astra" redirects here. For other uses, see Per aspera ad astra (disambiguation).

Ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars". The phrase has origins with Virgil, who wrote in his Aeneid : "sic itur ad astra" ('thus one journeys to the stars') ^[1] and "opta ardua pennis astra sequi" ('desire to pursue the high[/hard to reach] stars on wings'). ^[2] Another origin is Seneca the Younger, who wrote in Hercules : "non est ad astra mollis e terris via" ('there is no easy way from the earth to the stars'). ^[3]

Etymology

Ad is a Latin preposition expressing direction toward in space or time (e.g. ad nauseam , ad infinitum , ad hoc , ad libidem , ad valorem , ad hominem ). It is also used as a prefix in Latin word formation. ^[4]

Astra is the accusative plural form of the Latin word astrum 'star' (from Ancient Greek ἄστρον astron 'star', from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ster-). ^[5]

Mottos

Ad astra is used as, or as part of, the motto of many organizations, most prominently, military air forces. It has also been adopted as a proper name for various such things as publications, bands, video games, etc. It likewise sees general use as a popular Latin tag.

Ad astra

• Ad Astra Rocket Company, Webster, Texas, United States
• Motto of Astor family ^[6]
• Innova Junior College, Singapore
• Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale, Australia
• United States Air Force Academy Class of 2007 ^[7]
• United States Coast Guard Academy Class of 1992
• USS Taurus (PHM-3)
• University College Dublin, member institution of the National University of Ireland
• Downe House School, AGN house motto

Ad astra per alas porci

"To the stars on the wings of a pig"

• Motto on John Steinbeck's personal stamp, featuring a figure of the Pigasus. ^[8] Steinbeck's motto had an error in the Latin and used 'alia' instead of 'alas'. ^[9]
• Title of Chris Thile's mandolin concerto

Ad astra per aspera

Main article: Ad Astra per Aspera

"To the stars through difficulties"; "a rough road leads to the stars"; or "Through hardships, to the stars".

• Albury High School in Albury, New South Wales, Australia
• Apollo 1 memorial placed at Launch Complex 34
• Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina
• Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England
• Immaculate Conception High School in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, West Indies
• The State of Kansas (U.S. state motto) ^[10]
• Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey
• Mount Saint Michael Academy in The Bronx, New York City
• Starfleet, the fictional organization in the Star Trek universe
• Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida
• Woodville High School, South Australia
• Rotorua Boys' High School in Rotorua, New Zealand
• Murroe AFC

De profundis ad astra

"From the depths to the stars."

• Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The official motto of the world's oldest continually operating science fiction fan social club, founded in 1934. ^[11]

Per ardua ad astra

Main article: Per ardua ad astra

"Through adversity to the stars" or "Through struggle to the stars"

• Royal Air Force
• Royal Australian Air Force
• Royal Canadian Air Force (prior to 1968)
• Royal Flying Corps
• Royal Indian Air Force (1932–1950)
• Royal New Zealand Air Force
• Air Operations Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces
• University of Birmingham

Per aspera ad astra

Main article: Per aspera ad astra (disambiguation)

"Through hardships to the stars" or "To the stars through difficulties"

• City of Gouda, The Netherlands ^[12]
• Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin ^[13]
• Instituto Nacional Mejía
• Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Municipality of Cirebon, Indonesia (during the Dutch colonial period) ^[14]
• Title of Sergei Bortkiewicz's Piano Concerto no. 3
• South African Air Force
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• University of Klagenfurt
• Included within the Sounds of Earth audio portion of the contents of the Voyager Golden Record is a track containing the inspirational message per aspera ad astra in Morse code.
• Municipality of Pouso Alto, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Per audacia ad astra

"Through boldness to the stars"

• Launch Enterprise Directorate, United States Space Force

Quam celerrime ad astra

"With full speed to the stars"

• Chilean Air Force

Sic itur ad astra

"Thus one goes to the stars"

• The Philomathean Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States ^[15]
• The Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Admiral Collingwood Lodge, Australia
• City of Richmond, Virginia, United States
• Argentine Air Force, Materiel Command, Argentina
• The Geelong College, Australia
• Canadian Air Force (1920–1924)
• Colombian Aerospace Force
• 48 Air School in Woodbridge East London, one of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in South Africa. Other units had Ad Unum Ad Astra and Per Artem Ad Astra.
• Llandysul Grammar School, Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales

"Such is the pathway to the stars"

• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Brazilian Air Force Academy, in Pirassununga – São Paulo, Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force Academy uses the variation "Macte animo! Generose puer, sic itur ad astra!" which means: "Be brave! Young ones, this is the pathway to the stars."

"Reach for the stars"

• The Hertfordshire and Essex High School, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England
• Falcon College, Zimbabwe

Hinc itur ad astra

"From here the way leads to the stars"

• Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

Other uses

Per "Abi ad Astra" was the slogan of the year 1999 students of the grammar school (German: Gymnasium) Ubbo-Emmius-Gymnasium in Leer (East Frisia, Germany)

Literature

• "Ad Astra" is the title of a William Faulkner short story, found in Collected Stories of William Faulkner (New York: Vintage International).
• A derived phrase, ex astris ('from the stars'), is used frequently in NASA publications and in science fiction—see Ex astris, scientia .
• The phrase "Per Aspera, Ad Astra" is used as a motto by Golds, recalling the Earth eras pre-conquering, in the popular Red Rising science fiction saga.

Music

• "Per aspera ad Astra" is the name of a track from the album Eppur si muove by German symphonic metal band Haggard.
• The phrase "Ad Astra" is a key phrase in Nightwish's song Shoemaker and the name of track 8 on disc two from their album Human. :II: Nature. ^[16]
• "Ad Astra" is the title of a song by Finnish composer Antti Martikainen from the album "Novum" released November 30, 2022.
• “Sic itur ad astra” is the title of a track on Megaliths, the second album written and performed by Edinburgh-based experimental electronic musician Daniel McGurty, and released in 2022.
• "AD ASTRA" is the 15th track on the album SILOS, the fifth studio album of cinematic rock band Starset, released September 12th, 2025.

Art

Ad astra, Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1894)

• Ad Astra is a 1976 public artwork by American artist Richard Lippold. Lippold's sculpture is located outside the Jefferson Drive entrance, and in the collection, of the National Air and Space Museum.

Film and television

• Ad Astra is the title of a 2019 science fiction film starring Brad Pitt.
• The phrase Sic itur ad astra was also used in the Netflix's Singaporean anime-influenced television series Trese.

Computer games

• A 1984 computer game, Ad Astra is an outer space shoot-em-up with a 3-D perspective. ^[17]
• The phrase Ad astra abyssosque is used as the motto for the Adventurer's Guild in the video game Genshin Impact .
• In the video game World of Tanks, Per Aspera Ad Astra is inscribed in the galaxy-themed Ad Astra style camouflage.
• In the video game Mafia 2, Per Aspera Ad Astra is the name of the last chapter.

References

1. Virgil, Aeneid IX 641. Spoken by Apollo to Aeneas's young son Iulus.
2. Virgil, Aenied XII 892–93. Spoken by Aeneas to his foe, Turnus, in their combat.
3. Seneca the Younger, Hercules Furens 437. Spoken by Megara, Hercules' wife.
4. Harper, Douglas. "ad". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
5. Harper, Douglas. "astra". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
6. Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families: a Directory of Gentleman of Coat-Armour. Hurst & Blackett. p. 58. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
7. "Class Facts | US Air Force Academy AOG & Endowment". www2.usafa.org.
8. "Pigasus". Steinbeck Center.
9. "sluggo on the street". sluggo on the street.
10. "Seal of Kansas". Kansapedia. Kansas Historical Society. March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
11. "The LASFS Coat of Arms". www.lasfsinc.info. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
12. "Gouda in the official Dutch heraldic records". High Council of the Nobility (Hoge Raad van Adel), The Hague. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
13. "Decorations of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin". Archived from the original on 29 August 2008.
14. "Nederlandsch-Indische Gemeentewapens" (PDF). NV Mij Vorkink. September 1933. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
15. "Philomathean Society homepage". Philomathean Society.
16. BraveWords. "NIGHTWISH Announce Partnership With World Land Trust International Conservation Charity Organization; Video Featuring New Track "Ad Astra" Posted". bravewords.com. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
17. "Ad Astra". World of Spectrum. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2020.

External links

• History of the RAF motto (but note that this page misspells sic itur)