Expert: Maria - 10/30/2007

Question
NASA Mission Control in Houston has this motto: Res Gestae Para Excellentia.
What is the exact translation of this?

Answer
Hello Fabrizio,

First of all the phrase “Res Gestae Para Excellentia” is wrong in Latin as well as “Res gesta par excellentiam” which appears on the Mission Control patch used as an insignia.

The correct Latin sentence is “Res gestae per excellentiam” or “Res gesta per excellentiam” which can be  translated as “Achievement through excellence”, to mean that a  bold difficult  enterprise can be entirely successful if well  prepared.

See below for grammatical analysis.

Best regards,
Maria
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-RES GESTAE (usually in the nominative feminine plural instead of in the singular RES GESTA) = achievement / enterprise/ notable adventure.

-PER (preposition which takes the accusative case) = through

-EXCELLENTIAM (accusative of EXCELLENTIA) = excellence