# Space Pioneer Awards

Space Pioneer Awards or NSS Space Pioneer Awards are the annual awards given by National Space Society, an independent non-profit educational membership organisation, to individuals and teams who have opened the space frontier.
The awards are given in 13 categories. Generally, three or more Space Pioneer awards are given per year, so not every category is awarded each year.

## Categories

The 13 categories in which award could be given are:
* Business / Corporate
* Business / Entrepreneur
* Compelling Art
* Educator / Education
* Government Service (Non-legislative)
* Government Service (Legislative)
* Mass Media
* Public Awareness
* Scientist / Engineer
* Service to the Space Community
* Space Development
* Special Merit
* Wide Media

### List of recipients

* 2024 — Rod Pyle [Mass Media in Print], Brian McManus [Electronic Mass Media], José M. Hernández [NASA Service and Science]
* 2023 — Jared Isaacman [Historic Space Achievement], Dr. Pascal Lee [Science and Engineering], Dr. David Livingston [Mass Media]
* 2022 — Peter Beck, Rocket Lab [Science and Technology], Kathryn Lueders [Non-Legislative Government Service], Ingenuity Mars Helocopter Team [Science and Technology]
* 2021 — Dr. Robert D. Braun [Science and Engineering], Robert Manning [Science and Engineering]
* 2020 - Isaac Arthur [Education via Mass Media], Steve Jurvetson [Space Entrepreneurship], Dr. Peggy Whitson [Current Space Achievements], Mission Juno Team, Dr. Scott J. Bolton [Science and Engineering], Dr. Phil Plait [Mass Media]
* 2019 — Eileen Collins [Historic Space Achievement], Gerald Griffin [Service to the Space Community], Jeffrey Manber [Entrepreneurship], Miles O'Brien [Mass Media], Dr. Martine A. Rothblatt [Entrepreneurship], Peter G. Wilhelm [Science and Engineering], Alfred M. Worden [Historic Space Achievement]
* 2018 - Thomas Mueller [Science and Engineering]
* 2015 - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), (Mars Orbiter Mission)
* 2011 - Elon Musk [Business Entrepreneur]
* 2011 - Robert Bigelow [Space Development]
* 2011 - X-51A Waverider Team [Science and Engineering]
* 2011 - Paul Spudis [Scientific or Engineering Paper]
* 2011 - Gordon R. Woodcock [Lifetime of Service to the Space Community]
* 2011 - George T. Whitesides [Service to the Space Community]
* 2010 - Ray D. Bradbury [Mass Media]
* 2010 - George T. Whitesides [Service to the Space Community]
* 2010 - NASA-Ames LCROSS Mission Team [Science and Engineering]
* 2009 - Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) [Science and Engineering]
* 2009 - John C. Mankins [Space Development]
* 2009 - Brian G. Marsden [Service to the Space Community]
* 2009 - Russell L. Schweickart [Historic Space Achievement]
* 2008 - "The Caballeros" Col. Mike Hornitschek, USAF, Col. M.V. “Coyote” Smith, USAF, Lt. Col. Peter Garretson, USAF, Lt. Col. Paul Damphousse, USMC, and Gen. James Armor (Ret.) [Space Development]
* 2008 - Anita E. Gale [Education]
* 2008 - Al Globus [Education]
* 2008 - Patricia Grace Smith [Government Service (Non-legislative)]
* 2007 - Kenneth Cox [Space Development]
* 2007 - Heinz-Hermann Koelle [Special Merit]
* 2006 - Elon Musk [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 2006 - JAXA HAYABUSA (MUSES-C) Mission Team [Scientist/Engineer]
* 2006 - Michael Griffin [Space Development]
* 2005 - Paul Allen [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 2005 - Mars Exploration Rover Team, accepted by Dr. Steven Squyres [Scientist/Engineer]
* 2005 - Dr. Boris Smeds, ESA, for Cassini/Huygens mission [Scientist/Engineer]
* 2004 - Rep. Sherwood Boehlert [Government Service (Legislative)]
* 2004 - Gary Pearce Barnhard [Special Merit - Space Activist of the Year]
* 2004 - Randall Severy [Special Merit - Space Activist of the Year]
* 2001 - Leonard David [Mass Media]
* 2001 - Dr. Robert Farquhar, Mission Director, and the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission Team [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1998 - George French for MoonLink [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 1998 - Alan Binder [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1997 - Greg Allison [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 1997 - Rep. James Sensenbrenner, for Commercial Space Act of 1997 [Government Service (Legislative)]
* 1997 - Mars meteorite team [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1997 - Lori Garver [Special Merit]
* 1996 - Charlie Chafer [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 1996 - Jeff Kluger [Mass Media]
* 1996 - Peter Diamandis [Special Merit]
* 1995 - Glenn Heinmiller [Mass Media]
* 1995 - General Daniel Graham [Special Merit]
* 1995 - Dr. Mark Albrecht [Special Merit]
* 1994 - Dr. Stewart Nozette [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1994 - Tim Kyger [Special Merit]
* 1993 - McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Delta Clipper Team [Business/Corporate]
* 1993 - Dr. Daniel Goldin [Special Merit]
* 1992 - Westinghouse Electric Corporation Commercial and Civil Space Division [Business/Corporate]
* 1992 - Barbara Morgan [Education]
* 1992 - Sen. Barbara Mikulski [Government Service (Legislative)]
* 1991 - Women in Aerospace [Public Awareness]
* 1991 - K. Eric Drexler [Space Development]
* 1990 - Orbital Sciences Corporation [Business/Corporate]
* 1990 - Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 1990 - Rep. Ron Packard [Government Service (Legislative)]
* 1990 - Lyman Spitzer, Jr. [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1989 - 3M Corporation [Business/Corporate]
* 1989 - James Bennett [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 1989 - Pat Rawlings [Compelling Art]
* 1989 - The Challenger Center [Education]
* 1989 - Sen. Jake Garn [Government Service (Legislative)]
* 1989 - Wendell Mendell [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1988 - Gilbert W. Keyes, Boeing [Business/Corporate]
* 1988 - Byron Lichtenberg [Business/Entrepreneur]
* 1988 - Dermot Burke and the Princeton Ballet for “A Tribute” [Compelling Art]
* 1988 - Kamil Naguib, World Aerospace Education Foundation [Education]
* 1988 - Rep. George Brown, Jr. [Government Service (Legislative)]
* 1988 - Doug Morrow, Richard MacLeod, U.S. Space Foundation [Mass Media]
* 1988 - Thomas Rogers [Scientist/Engineer]
* 1988 - Craig Covault [Wide Media]