The NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal is an award similar to the

NASA Distinguished Service Medal The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the highest award that can be bestowed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States. The medal may be presented to any member of the federal government, including both milita ...

, but awarded to non-government personnel. This is the highest honor NASA awards to anyone who was not a government employee when the service was performed.

Recipients

1967

*Dr.

Charles Stark Draper Charles Stark "Doc" Draper (October 2, 1901 – July 25, 1987) was an American scientist and engineer, known as the "father of inertial navigation". He was the founder and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Instrumentat ...

1969

* Harry H. Hess * T. J. O'Malley *

Frederick Seitz Frederick Seitz (July 4, 1911 – March 2, 2008) was an American physicist and a pioneer of solid state physics and lobbyist. Seitz was the 4th president of Rockefeller University from 1968–1978, and the 17th president of the United States Nat ...

Charles H. Townes Charles Hard Townes (July 28, 1915 – January 27, 2015) was an American physicist. Townes worked on the theory and application of the maser, for which he obtained the fundamental patent, and other work in quantum electronics associated wit ...

Russell L. Schweickart Russell Louis "Rusty" Schweickart (also Schweikart; born October 25, 1935) is an American aeronautical engineer, and a former NASA astronaut, research scientist, United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft, fighter pilot, as well a ...

Frank Borman Frank Frederick Borman II (born March 14, 1928) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) colonel (United States), colonel, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, businessman, and NASA astronaut. He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first missio ...

1971

* Joseph G. Gavin * George E. Stoner

1972

Riccardo Giacconi Riccardo Giacconi ( , ; October 6, 1931 – December 9, 2018) was an Italian-American Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who laid down the foundations of X-ray astronomy. He was a professor at the Johns Hopkins University. Biography Born ...

* Brian O'Brien * Gerald J. Wasserburg

1973

* Paul B. Blasingame * Joseph F. Clayton * Leo Goldberg * Clinton H. Grace * Robert E. Greer * George W. Jeffs * Thomas J. Kelly * H. Douglas Lowrey * Joseph P. McNamara * James A. Miller * Richard H. Nelson *

Frank Press Frank Press (December 4, 1924 – January 29, 2020) was an American geophysicist. He was an advisor to four U.S. presidents, and later served two consecutive terms as president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (1981–1993). He was the au ...

* Theodore D. Smith

1974

* Ben G. Bromberg *

Jack M. Campbell John Moren Campbell (September 10, 1916 – June 14, 1999) was an American politician who served as the List of Governors of New Mexico, 21st governor of New Mexico from January 1, 1963 until January 1, 1967. Early life and education Campbell ...

* Edwin G. Czarnecki *

Harry Dornbrand Harry Dornbrand (November 10, 1922 – May 8, 2022) was an American aerospace engineer, and a leading figure in the development of satellite technologies during the early space race era. He served as Vice President, then President of Fairchild In ...

Jesse L. Greenstein Jesse Leonard Greenstein (October 15, 1909 – October 21, 2002) was an American astronomer. His parents were Maurice G. and Leah Feingold. He earned a Ph.D, with thesis advisor Donald H. Menzel, from Harvard University in 1937, having start ...

Bruce C. Murray Bruce Churchill Murray (November 30, 1931 – August 29, 2013) was an American planetary scientist. He was a director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and co-founder of The Planetary Society. Education and early life Murray receive ...

* T. J. O'Malley * William G. Purdy

1975

* Grant L. Hansen * Willis M. Hawkins * Richard B. Kershner

1976

* Edward W. Bonnett *

Antonio Ferri Antonio Ferri (5 April 1912 – 28 December 1975) was an Italian scientist, prominent in the field of aerodynamics, with a specialization in hypersonic and supersonic flight. Born in 1912 in Norcia, Italy, from 1937 he conducted research in Guido ...

* Theodore D. Smith *

Lyman Spitzer Lyman Spitzer Jr. (June 26, 1914 – March 31, 1997) was an American theoretical physicist, astronomer and mountaineer. As a scientist, he carried out research into star formation, plasma physics, and in 1946, conceived the idea of telesco ...

1977

* Laurence J. Adams * Franklin W. Kolk * Walter O. Lowrie * Thomas G. Pownall *

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...

* Francis B. Sayre * Ronald Smelt *

Kurt Waldheim Kurt Josef Waldheim (; 21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian politician and diplomat. Waldheim was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981 and president of Austria from 1986 to 1992. While he was running for t ...

1978

* Edward O. Buckbee * Gerald J. Wasserburg

1980

* Clyde W. Tombaugh

1981

* Victor van Lint

1982

* Harrison H. Schmitt

1983

* Eugene H. Levy

1984

Erik Quistgaard Erik Quistgaard (3 June 1921 – 11 February 2013) was a Danish engineer and Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) from 1980 until 1984. As head of ESA, he oversaw early stages of the Ariane launcher's development, as well as Spa ...

Nichelle Nichols Nichelle Nichols (, born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in ''Star Trek'' and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was g ...

1988

Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

* Carver G. Kennedy

1991

* John T. Radecki *

Rodger Doxsey Rodger Evans Doxsey (March 11, 1947 – October 13, 2009)Overbye, Dennis '' The New York Times'', October 18, 2009. Accessed October 20, 2009. was an American physicist and astronomer who made major contributions to the scientific and operational ...

Harlan James Smith Harlan James Smith (August 25, 1924 – October 17, 1991) was an American astronomer. He served as director of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory from 1963 to 1989, where, among other accomplishments, he initiated the construction of th ...

* Bert R. Bulkin

1992

* John Bahcall * Berrien Moore III

1993

Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of '' Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series '' Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and '' ...

1995

Dr. Robert L. Golden Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

* Bill G Aldridge

1996

Lori Garver Lori Beth Garver (born May 22, 1961, in Lansing, Michigan) is a former Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She was nominated on May 24, 2009, by President Barack Obama, along with Charles Bolden as ...

1997

* Norman Ralph Augustine

2001

* Alain Bensoussan * James (Jim) F. Berry *

Yvonne Brill Yvonne Madelaine Brill (née Claeys; December 30, 1924 – March 27, 2013) was a Canadian American rocket and jet propulsion engineer. She is responsible for inventing the Electrothermal Hydrazine Thruster (EHT/Resistojet), a fuel-efficient rock ...

2002

Thomas P. Ackerman Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

* Viktor D. Blagov * Richard D. Blomberg * Vladimir Nikolaevich Dezhurov * Glenn A. Goerke * Audrey Milroy * R. K. Chetty Pandipati * Gerald W. Smith *

Mikhail Tyurin Mikhail Vladislavovich Tyurin (russian: Михаил Владиславович Тюрин; born March 2, 1960) is a former Russian cosmonaut who flew several missions to the International Space Station and completed four spacewalks during his c ...

* Yury V. Usachev

2003

* Daniel J. Jacob * Roger J. Bressenden * Hugh (Hamp) Wilson * Roger Chrostowski *

Barry Greenberg Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 1950 ...

* Ilan Ramon *

Yuri Gidzenko Yuri Pavlovich Gidzenko (russian: link=no, Юрий Павлович Гидзенко; born March 26, 1962) is a Russian cosmonaut. He was a test cosmonaut of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (TsPK). Gidzenko has flown into space thre ...

2004

Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a p ...

* Edward C. "Pete" Aldridge * Maria T. Zuber *Dr. Laurie Leshin *Albert Reville *

William H. Webster William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) is an American attorney and jurist who most recently served as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council from 2005 until 2020. He was a United States district judge of the United States Distr ...

2005

* William Sample * Richard Covey *Dr. Douglas Stanley *Dr. Dennis L. Hartmann

2006

* Daniel J. Heimerdinger, Ph.D. * Bob Bishop, D.S. * Bruce H. Wendler

2007

* Jim Banke * David F. Dinges * Paul Lightsey * Lynda Weatherman 2008 * Dr. Klaus P. Heiss *James R. Bathurst * James J. Cawby * George Hartig * Mark G. Jager * Linn Leblanc * Michael J. Massie * Robert J. Puckett * Ted Robinson * Harold R. Ross * Marcus Shaw * Carl Weimer, Ph.D.

2009

* Dr. Carlos T. Mata * Brian Rishikof * Lester M. Cohen * Roger W. Corson

2010

* Dennis E. Botts * Jack Trombka * Benjamin M. Herman * Jeffrey P. Sutton

2011

* Gary Dempsey - COLSA * Charles Kopicz - ERC, Inc *

Robert Savoie Robert Savoie, (April 21, 1927 in Montreal – September 14, 2007 in Montreal) was a French-Canadian operatic baritone. Career Savoie studied for five years with Pauline Donalda, and made his debut in 1948 with the Montreal Opera Guild, as th ...

- GEOCENT

2012

* Robert Berry * Raymond M. Hoff * Peter W. Phillips * Dmitry Kondratyev * James Sponnick,

United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance (ULA), legally United Launch Alliance, LLC, is an American spacecraft launch service provider that manufactures and operates a number of rocket vehicles that are capable of launching spacecraft into orbits around Earth, a ...

* Michael L. Young,

2013

The following individuals were recognized in 2013. Individuals marked with an ''*'' was awarded between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013, outside the timing of the normal awards cycle. *

Edward C. Stone Edward Carroll Stone (born January 23, 1936) is an American space scientist, professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, and former director of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Biography Stone was born in Knoxvil ...

2014

The following individuals were recognized in 2014. Individuals marked with an ''*'' was awarded between April 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014, outside the timing of the normal awards cycle.

2015

* Davy A. Haynes, Jacobs Technologies ESSSA Group, Engineering Directorate

2016

The following individuals were recognized June 28, 2016. * Thomas A. Glavich *

Stamatios Krimigis Stamatios (Tom) M. Krimigis ( el, Σταμάτιος Κριμιζής, born September 10, 1938) is a Greek-American scientist in space exploration. He has contributed to many of the United States' unmanned space exploration programs of the Solar S ...

* Stephen E. Kulczycki * Therrin H. Protze *

Alan Stern Sol Alan Stern (born November 22, 1957) is an American engineer and planetary scientist. He is the principal investigator of the ''New Horizons'' mission to Pluto and the Chief Scientist at Moon Express. Stern has been involved in 24 suborbita ...

2017

The following individuals were recognized June 15, 2017.

2018

The following individuals were recognized August 2, 2018.

2019

The following individuals were recognized August 28, 2019.

Unknown date

References

External links

NASA Medals directory

(1969–1978) {{NASA decorations Awards and decorations of NASA Distinguished service awards