The NASA Exceptional Service Medal is an award granted to U.S. government employees for significant sustained performance characterized by unusual initiative or creative ability that clearly demonstrates substantial improvement in engineering, aeronautics, space flight, administration, support, or space-related endeavors which contribute to

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

programs. The medal was inherited by NASA from its predecessor organization, the

National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...

(NACA) and featured the NACA emblem. The original NASA version featured the NASA seal.

Notable recipients

Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 A ...

(1969) * Robert O. Aller (twice) *

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

(1966) * Charles Bolden (thrice) * John R. Casani (1965) * Lin Chambers (2009) * Kevin Chilton * Eileen Collins (1998) *

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and ...

(1966) * Nagin Cox * William H. Dana * Jean Dickey (1998) *

John H. Disher John Howard Disher (December 23, 1921 – August 27, 1988) was an American aeronautical engineer and NASA manager. For most of his life he worked for NASA during the Project Mercury, Mercury, Project Gemini, Gemini, Apollo program, Apollo, Skyl ...

(twice, last in 1980) * Einar Enevoldson (1974 and 1980) *

Christer Fuglesang Arne Christer Fuglesang (born 18 March 1957) is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on 10 December 2006, making him the first Swedish citizen in space. Married with three chil ...

(2010) * Fitzhugh L. Fulton (1977 and 1983) *

Alfred Gessow Prof. Alfred Gessow (October 13, 1922 – May 2, 2002) was an American pioneer in the field of helicopter aerodynamics and aerospace engineering. He was a co-author of the early rotorcraft engineering text ''Aerodynamics of the Helicopter'', ...

(1974) * Gus Grissom *

John M. Grunsfeld John Mace Grunsfeld (born 10 October 1958) is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five Space Shuttle flights and has served as NASA Chief Scientist. His academic background includes research in high energy astro ...

(1997, 1998, and 2000) *

Umberto Guidoni Umberto Guidoni (born 18 August 1954 in Rome) is an Italian astrophysicist, science writer and a former ESA astronaut, being the first European to visit the International Space Station. He is a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions. He ...

(2002) *

Joseph Gutheinz Joseph Richard Gutheinz (born August 13, 1955) is an American attorney, college instructor, commissioner, writer, and former Army intelligence officer, Army aviator, and Federal law enforcement officer. He is known as the founder of the "Moon Ro ...

(2000) *

Chris Hadfield Chris Austin Hadfield (born August 29, 1959) is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot, and musician. The first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also se ...

(2002) *

Karl Heimburg Karl Ludwig Heimburg (January 29, 1910 - January 26, 1997) was a German-American engineer and Operation Paperclip hire. Heimburg was a member of the " von Braun rocket team" and served as the initial director of the Test Division at the Marshall ...

(1969) * Joan E. Higginbotham * David M. Jones *

Mark Kelly Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, former astronaut, and United States Navy captain who has served as the junior United States senator from Arizona since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elect ...

* Don Leslie Lind (1974) * James A. Lovell (with star) * Paul D. Lowman * William S. McArthur * Pamela Matson * Saverio "Sonny" Morea (twice) * James B. Odom (1973) * Robert J. Parks (1967) *

Julie Payette Julie Payette (; born October 20, 1963) is a Canadian engineer, scientist and former astronaut who served from 2017 to 2021 as Governor General of Canada, the 29th since Canadian Confederation. Payette holds engineering degrees from McGill ...

(2010) *

Arthur Rudolph Arthur Louis Hugo Rudolph (November 9, 1906 – January 1, 1996) was a German rocket engineer who was a leader of the effort to develop the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany. After World War II, the United States Government's Office of Strategic Ser ...

* Tecwyn Roberts (1969) *

Walter M. Schirra Walter Marty Schirra Jr. (, March 12, 1923 – May 3, 2007) was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. In 1959, he became one of the original seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, which was the United States' fi ...

(1964 and 1968) *

David Scott David Randolph Scott (born June 6, 1932) is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the third group of astronauts in 1963, Scott flew to space three times and ...

(1966) * Deke Slayton * Andrew J. Stofan (1975) *

Epaminondas Stassinopoulos Epaminondas George Aristotle Alexander Stassinopoulos (January 17, 1921 – May 16, 2022) was an ethnic Greek, German-born American astrophysicist, author, and Resistance member against the Nazis occupying Greece during World War II. He served a ...

(1992) *

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper Heidemarie Martha Stefanyshyn-Piper (born February 7, 1963) is an American Naval officer and former NASA astronaut. She has achieved the rank of Captain (naval), Captain in the United States Navy. She is also a qualified and experienced marine ...

* Richard H. Truly (two awards) * Peggy Whitson (1993, 2003, 2006, and 2008) * John W. Young (1965 and 1966) * (2007).

References

External links

NASA awards

(1969-1978) {{ODM-stub Exceptional Service Medal

Notable recipients

See also

References

External links