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 military astronauts and civilian employees.

The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to those who display distinguished service, ability, or courage, and have personally made a contribution representing substantial progress to the NASA mission. The contribution must be so extraordinary that other forms of recognition would be inadequate.

Typical presentations of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal included awards to senior NASA administrators, mission control leaders, and astronauts who have completed several successful space flights. Due to the prestige of the award, the decoration is authorized for wear on active uniforms of the United States military. Another such authorized decoration is the NASA Space Flight Medal.

Upon the recommendation of NASA, the president may award an even higher honor to astronauts, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

The medal was original awarded by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and was inherited by NASA. The first NASA version (type I), featuring the NASA seal, was issued from 1959 until 1964, when it was replaced by the current type II medal (shown).

Recipients

1959

• John W. Crowley, NASA Director of Aeronautical and Space Research

1961

• Alan Shepard (May 8)

• Virgil I. Grissom (July 22)

1962

• John Glenn

• Robert Gilruth

• Scott Carpenter

• Wally Schirra (October 15)

• Forrest S. Petersen, X-15 pilot

• Robert White, X-15 pilot

• Joseph A. Walker, X-15 pilot

• Walter C. Williams

1963

• Gordon Cooper

1965

• Wally Schirra (December 30) (second award)

1966

• Hugh L. Dryden

• T. Keith Glennan

• Charles W. Mathews

• George E. Mueller

• Bernard A. Schriever

1967

• Raymond L. Bisplinghoff

• Edgar M. Cortright

• Homer E. Newell

• Walter D. Sohier

• Floyd L. Thompson

1968

• James Webb

• Alexander Flax

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1980

• William H. Bayley

1981

• Robert L. Crippen

• Paul C. Donnelly

• Howard S. Hardcastle

• James B. Odom

• Andrew J. Stofan

• John F. Yardley

• Walter C. Williams (second award)

• David Williamson Jr. (second award)

1982

1983

1984

• Robert O. Aller

1985

1986

1987

• Leslie H. Meredith

1988

• Willis H. Shapley (second award)

1989

1990

1991

• John R. Casani

1992

• Berrien Moore III

• Mark Albrecht

• Story Musgrave

1993

1994

• Joseph H. Rothenberg

1995

• Bill G. Aldridge

1996

• Gerald M. Smith

• William J. O'Neil

1997

• Jerome Apt

2000

• Joseph H. Rothenberg

2001

• Jack Brooks

• Claude Nicollier

• Courtney Stadd

• James S. Voss

• Joseph Philip Loftus

2002

• Scott E. Parazynski

2004

• Kalpana Chawla

• William McCool

• Axel Roth

• Brock "Randy" Stone

• Lott W. Brantley Jr.

• G. Scott Hubbard

• Edward T. Lu

2005

• Alphonso V. Diaz

• Firouz Naderi

2006

• Eileen M. Collins

2007

• Douglas Hendriksen

2008

• Walter Cunningham

• Donn Eisele

• Fuk Li

• Walter Schirra (Third Award)

• E. Myles Standish

• Richard Sunseri

2009

• Christopher Scolese

• Stephanie D. Wilson

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

• Roy W. Malone, Jr.

2021

• David A. Herda

• Paul K. McConnaughey

• H. Phil Stahl

• Bobby J. Watkins

See also

• List of NASA awards

References

External links

• NASA awards

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration Honor Awards (1969–1978)

• List of NASA medal recipients