The National Air and Space Museum Trophy was established in 1985. The trophy presented to the winners is a miniature version of "The Web of Space," a sculpture by artist

John Safer John H. Safer (September 6, 1922 – December 7, 2018) was an American sculptor. Safer's varied career spanned work in Stage lighting, theater lighting, television, real estate, politics and banking. Safer was best known for his monumental scu ...

. The

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...

presents this trophy annually to recognize both past and present achievements involving the management or execution of a scientific or technological project, a distinguished career of service in air and space technology, or a significant contribution in chronicling the history of air and space technology. The trophy was created for the National Air and Space Museum by

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, a well-known

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and

banker A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

retired as chief executive officer of D.C. National Bank. The trophy became known as the Michael Collins Trophy in 2020. __FORCETOC__

Recipients for Lifetime Achievements

* 2021

Gene Kranz Eugene Francis Kranz (born August 17, 1933) is an American aerospace engineer who served as NASA's second Chief Flight Director, directing missions of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, including the first lunar landing mission, Apoll ...

* 2020

Charles Elachi Charles Elachi (born April 18, 1947
. ''Cedars Network''. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.) is a ...

* 2019

Charlie Bolden Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (born August 19, 1946) is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. He graduated from the United States Naval ...

* 2018 John R. Dailey * 2017

Peter Theisinger Peter Charles Theisinger (August 7, 1945 – June 26, 2024) was the director of the Engineering and Science Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and was the project manager of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission ...

* 2016 James A. Lovell * 2015

Stamatios Krimigis Stamatios (Tom) Mike Krimizis (; 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 System and beyond. He has contributed ...

* 2014 Norm Augustine * 2013

Joe Sutter Joseph Frederick Sutter (March 21, 1921 – August 30, 2016) was an American engineer for the Boeing Airplane Company and manager of the design team for the Boeing 747 under Malcolm T. Stamper, the head of the 747 project. '' Air & Space/Smithso ...

* 2012

Burt Rutan Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan (; born June 17, 1943) is a retired American aerospace engineer and entrepreneur noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, and energy-efficient air and space craft. He designed the recor ...

* 2011 George Mueller * 2010

Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. (February 28, 1924 – July 22, 2019) was an American aerospace and NASA engineer who was instrumental in establishing the agency's Mission Control Center and shaping its organization and culture. His protégé ...

* 2009 John R. Casani and

C. Gordon Fullerton Charles Gordon Fullerton (October 11, 1936 – August 21, 2013) was a United States Air Force colonel, a USAF and NASA astronaut, and a research pilot at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, California.

* 2008 Col. Joseph Kittinger * 2007 Robert A. "Bob" Hoover * 2006 James A. Van Allen * 2005

Frank N. Piasecki Frank Nicolas Piasecki ( ; ; October 24, 1919 – February 11, 2008) was an American engineer and helicopter aviation pioneer. Piasecki pioneered tandem rotor helicopter designs and created the compound helicopter concept of vectored thrust using ...

* 2004

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer who, in 1969, became the Apollo 11#Lunar surface operations, first person to walk on the Moon. He was al ...

* 2003 (No Award) - In observance of the Centennial of Flight in 2003, the NASM did not award Trophy this year. * 2002

Stanley Hiller Stanley Hiller Jr. (November 15, 1924 – April 20, 2006), was an American pioneering developer of the helicopter. Biography Stanley Hiller was born November 15, 1924, in San Francisco, California, to Stanley Hiller, Sr. and Opal Perkins. The fa ...

Jr. * 2001 Sen.

John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1 ...

* 2000 A. Scott Crossfield * 1999 Dr.

Simon Ramo Simon "Si" Ramo (May 7, 1913 – June 27, 2016) was an American engineer, businessman, and author. He led development of microwave and missile technology and is sometimes known as the father of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). He ...

* 1998

Richard T. Whitcomb Richard Travis Whitcomb (February 21, 1921 – October 13, 2009) was an American Aeronautical engineering, aeronautical engineer who was noted for his contributions to the science of aerodynamics. Biography Whitcomb was born in Evanston, Il ...

* 1997 Anthony "Tony" LeVier * 1996 Gen.

Bernard A. Schriever Bernard Adolph "Bennie" Schriever (14 September 1910 – 20 June 2005) was a United States Air Force general who played a major role in the Air Force's space and ballistic missile programs. Born in Bremen, Germany, Schriever immigrated to the ...

, USAF (Ret.) * 1995 Najeeb E. Halaby * 1994 Dr. Michael H. Carr * 1993

Olive Ann Beech Olive Ann Beech (September 25, 1903 – July 6, 1993) was an American aerospace businesswoman who was the co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the Beech Aircraft Corporation. She founded the company in 1932 with her husband, Walter Beech, a ...

* 1992 Francis M. Rogallo * 1991 Arthur E. Raymond * 1990 Kelly Johnson and the SR-71 Design Team * 1989

Edwin Land Edwin Herbert Land, ForMemRS, FRPS, Hon.MRI (May 7, 1909 – March 1, 1991) was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. He invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical ...

* 1988

Harold Masursky Harold (Hal) Masursky (December 23, 1922* – August 24, 1990) was an American astrogeologist. After leaving Yale University without defending his dissertation, he started his career in the early 1950s as a field geologist in Wyoming and Color ...

* 1987 John Steiner * 1986 Sir

Frank Whittle Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) was an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force (RAF) air officer. He is credited with co-creating the turbojet engine. A patent was submitted by Maxime Guillaume in 1921 fo ...

and Dr.

Hans von Ohain Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (14 December 191113 March 1998) was a German physicist, engineer, and the designer of the first aircraft to use a turbojet engine. Together with Frank Whittle and Anselm Franz, he has been described as the co-invent ...

* 1985 Robert R. Gilruth

Recipients for Current Achievement

* 2021 SpaceX and Crew Dragon Team * 2020 Hubble Space Telescope Team * 2019 LIGO Scientific Collaboration * 2018 Shaesta Waiz of Dreams Soar Inc. * 2017 Kenn Borek Air's South Pole Rescue Team * 2016 NASA's New Horizons Mission Team * 2015 Kepler Mission Team * 2014 The Dawn Flight Team * 2013

Mars Science Laboratory Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed ''Curiosity (rover), Curiosity'', a Mars rover, in Gale (crater), Gale Crater on Augus ...

Entry, Descent and Landing team, led by

Adam Steltzner Adam Diedrich Steltzner (born 1963) is an American NASA engineer who works for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He worked on several flight projects including Galileo (spacecraft), Galileo, Cassini–Huygens, Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Ex ...

* 2012 The Cassini-Huygens Flight Team * 2011

Michael Suffredini Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

and the International Space Station Program Office * 2010 Flight crew of US Airways Flight 1549: Chesley B. Sullenberger III,

Jeffrey B. Skiles Jeffrey Bruce Skiles (born November 18, 1959) is a retired airline pilot for American Airlines. On January 15, 2009, he became known globally as first officer of US Airways Flight 1549, when he worked together with captain Chesley "Sully" Sull ...

, Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh * 2009 (no award)** * 2008 Stardust Comet Sample Return Mission Team * 2007 NASA STS-121 shuttle mission team * 2006

Mars Exploration Rover NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission was a robotic space mission involving two Mars rovers, ''Spirit (rover), Spirit'' and ''Opportunity (rover), Opportunity'', exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the launch of the two rove ...

Team * 2005

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American businessman, computer programmer, and investor. He co-founded Microsoft, Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which was followed by the ...

, and the SpaceShipOne Team * 2004 USAF/Lockheed Martin Milstar Team * 2003 (no award)* * 2002 Predator Development Team * 2001 NEAR Mission Team * 2000 The Chandra X-Ray Observatory Team * 1999 The Breitling Orbiter 3 Team * 1998 The Mars Pathfinder Team * 1997 Dr.

Shannon W. Lucid Shannon Matilda Wells Lucid (born January 14, 1943) is an American biochemist and retired NASA astronaut. She has flown in space five times, including a prolonged mission aboard the Russian space station ''Mir'' in 1996, and is the only America ...

* 1996 The Boeing 777 Civilian Airliner Development Team * 1995 The X-31 International Test Team * 1994

Patty Wagstaff Patty Wagstaff (née Patricia Rosalie Kearns Combs; born September 11, 1951) is an American aviator and U.S. national aerobatic champion. Wagstaff was introduced to aviation as a child; her father was a pilot for Japan Airlines. After gradua ...

* 1993 Dr. Compton J. Tucker * 1992 The Magellan Project Team * 1991

John C. Mather John Cromwell Mather (born August 7, 1946) is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate for his work on the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite (COBE) with George Smoot. This work helped cement the Big Ba ...

and the Cosmic Background Explorer Team * 1990 The Pegasus Launch Vehicle Team * 1989 The Voyager Spacecraft Team * 1988

Paul MacCready Paul Beattie MacCready Jr. (September 25, 1925 – August 28, 2007) was an American aeronautical engineer. He was the founder of AeroVironment and the designer of the human-powered aircraft that won the first Kremer prize. He devoted his life t ...

* 1987

Dick Rutan Richard Glenn Rutan (July 1, 1938 – May 3, 2024) was an American military aviator and officer, as well as a record-breaking test pilot who in 1986 piloted the Voyager aircraft on the first non-stop, non-refueled around-the-world flight with ...

and

Jeana Yeager Jeana Lee Yeager (born May 18, 1952) is an American aviator. She co-piloted, along with Dick Rutan, the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world in the Rutan Voyager aircraft from December 14 to 23, 1986. The flight took 9 days, 3 ...

* 1986 John W. Young * 1985 Astronauts Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D. and Capt.

Bruce McCandless Bruce McCandless I (August 12, 1911 – January 24, 1968) was an officer of United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor during World War II for his heroism on board during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. He retired ...

, USN * In observance of the many centennial of flight celebrations in 2003, the museum did not award Trophies for that year. ** In 2009, there was no award for Current Achievement and two Lifetime Achievement Trophies were awarded.

References

{{Reflist

External links

*http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/trophy/nasm.htm American science and technology awards Aviation history of the United States Lifetime achievement awards Awards established in 1985 1985 establishments in the United States Space-related awards