Mike Sanni is a self-taught painter, graphic designer, photographer, and copy writer. While at the "Pennsylvania State University," he majored in Astronomy with hope of becoming involved in the U.S. space program.  After five years of ad agency experience in New York and New Jersey, he established his own illustration and design studio while continuing to dream of working for NASA.

 

Mr. Sanni relocated to Houston, Texas, where he entered the aerospace industry at Johnson Space Center and supported numerous NASA projects as a staff artist with GE Government Services, Martin Marietta, Lockheed Martin, and Lockheed Aerospace. His international award-winning work for NASA ranged from technical illustrations of space shuttle and space station hardware, to mission catalogs, emblems, and paintings. He worked closely with many of the astronaut crews, designing official NASA crew emblems.

 

During this time and on his own, he produced oil paintings and illustrations of deep space objects, shuttle hardware, and other spacecraft. "The Lunar and Planetary Institute" in Houston, Texas (administered by USRA, Universities Space Research Association), hosted a one-man art exhibit for which his oil painting, "Chocolate Moon" was the centerpiece. He was officially selected for the "NASA National Artist Program" and subsequently received NASA's highest tribute to industry professionals, the “Manned Flight Awareness Award” (now the "Space Flight Awareness Award") for his creative and graphic support of NASA’s Life Sciences Division.

 

He has also received awards from the "Society for Technical Communications" for space-related illustrations in the STC International Competition. The following year, he was presented with three more STC awards including an "Award of Excellence" for work in NASA's "Spacelab/ Shuttle Project" and the "Spacelab/ Mir Project."

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During a speaking engagement for the 25th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing at Kennedy Space Center, he presented an original oil painting of President John F. Kennedy to the center for permanent display.

 

Mr. Sanni left the aerospace industry and returned to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  There, he became an Adjunct Instructor of Graphic Design and Illustration at "Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts" in York Pennsylvania.  Afterward, he established and operated a marketing and advertising studio called, "i.n.k." (”intelligent noise kommunications”) serving a varied array of clients, until his retirement.

 

He continues to maintain an intense interest in the study of astronomy and the international space effort. He is currently working on a volume of paintings entitled "The Planets and LQG" for exhibition in September, 2026 (please see red notes).