NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal

NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal
The NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal is an award of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration established in 1991. The medal is awarded to both civilian members of NASA and military astronauts.
To be awarded the medal, a NASA employee must make substantial contributions characterized by a substantial and significant improvement in operations, efficiency, service, financial savings, science, or technology which directly contribute to the mission of NASA. For civilians, the decoration is typically bestowed to mid-level and senior NASA administrators who have supervised at least four to five successful NASA missions. Astronauts may be awarded the decoration after two to three space flights.
Due to its prestige, the medal is authorized as a military decoration for display on active duty military uniforms upon application from the service member to the various branch of the military in which they serve.
Notable recipients
Chris Adami, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, physicist
Richard Arenstorf, Vanderbilt University, mathematician
Gordon Cooper, astronaut
Lana Couch (1992), NASA engineer and executive
Carl Sagan, astronomer
Alan Shepard, astronaut
John Young, astronaut
Charles L. Bennett, observational astrophysicist
Nancy Roman, astronomer, NASA executive
Stephen P. Maran, astronomer
Kimberly Robinson, CEO USSRC
Douglas R. Fraser, 3-time recipient
Selected recipients by year
There are usually more than 100 recipients of this medal annually. For example, there were 177 recipients in 2010.
Prem Chand Pandey, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1985 (NASA Certificate of Recognition and Cash Award)
David Rochblatt, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Engineer, 1995 (NASA Exceptional Service Medal, 2012)
Jon T. Adams, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Scatterometer Radio Frequency Subsystem, 1997
Gary Flandro, University of Tennessee, UTSI, 1998
Miguel San Martín, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1998
John R. Casani, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1999, 2000
Mark P. Stucky, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Eclipse Project Technical Lead & Project Pilot, 1999
Joan Feynman, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2002
Thomas M. Lavelle, Glenn Research Center, Aerospace Engineer, 2002
Stephen G. Ungar, Goddard Space Flight Center, Earth Observing-1 Mission Scientist, 2002
Kevin Delin, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Sensor Web Inventor, 2004
Adam Steltzner, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2004
Keith Presson, Marshall Space Flight Center MPLM Project Office, 2005
Carlos Ortiz Longo, Johnson Space Center, 2005
Robert Sherwood, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Autonomous Sciencecraft Project Manager, 2005
Mian Chin, Goddard Space Flight Center, physical scientist, 2005
Rodney N. Phillips, Marshall Space Flight Center, Structural Dynamics Test Engineer, 2006
Michael Dalton, Kennedy Space Center, Computer Systems Engineer, 2007
Ashok Srivastava, Ames Research Center, Data Mining and Machine Learning, 2007
Quang-Viet Nguyen, Glenn Research Center, Research Aerospace Engineer, 2007
Angelita Castro-Kelly, Mission Operations Manager, 2007
Douglas R. Fraser, Ames Research Center, Pressure Systems Manager, 2008
Michael A. Gross, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Phoenix Project Payload Manager, 2009
Ryan M. Lien, Johnson Space Center, Lead ISS CAPCOM Expedition 17, 2009
Eric Becker, Armstrong Flight Research Center, deputy director of Flight Operations, 2009
2010 Honorees:
Jonathan H. Jiang, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Research Scientist
Michael Engle, Johnson Space Center, Chief Engineer, Astronaut Office
2011 Honorees:
Gustavo Carreno, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Avionics Supervisor
Philip Hall, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Global Hawk Deputy Project Manager
Kevin D. James, Ames Research Center, Senior Research Engineer, ARIES/ORION Launch Abort Flight Dynamics Tests
Terry D. Rolin, Ph.D., Marshall Space Flight Center, Avionics Failure Analyst
Eddie Zavala, Armstrong Flight Research Center, SOFIA Program Manager
2012 Honorees:
Douglas R. Fraser, Ames Research Center, Pressure Systems Manager
Patrick Hogan Ames Research Center, NASA WorldWind Project Manager
Charles C. Cramer, Langley Research Center, Special Agent
2013 Honorees:
Kobie Boykins, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Senior Mechanical Engineer
Jonathan H. Jiang, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Principal Scientist
Brett A. Smith, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dawn Attitude Control Team Leader
David Y. Oh, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mars Science Laboratory Cross-Cutting Domain Lead
Brett A. Smith, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dawn Attitude Control Team Leader
2014 Honorees:
Stephen D. Van Genderen, Kennedy Space Center, Thermal Fluids Systems Analysis Engineer
2015 Honorees:
Geoffrey S. Sage, Goddard Space Flight Center, Procurement Analyst
Guy T. Noffsinger, NASA Headquarters, Senior Television Producer - NASA Television
Justin C. Pane, Ames Research Center, Contracting Officer
David K. Tow, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Range Systems Engineer
2016 Honorees:
Jennifer C. Franzo John C. Stennis Space Center
Carlos A. Gomez-Rosa, Goddard Space Flight Center, MAVEN Mission Director
Quang-Viet Nguyen, NASA Headquarters, DSCOVR Program Executive
David Howard Matthews, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Communications Security Program Manager
2018 Honorees:
Bhanu Sood, Goddard Space Flight Center, Deputy Chief Technologist
2019 Honorees:
Rita Sambruna, NASA Headquarters
2020 Honorees:
Ryan Lien, Johnson Space Center, 56 Soyuz Mishap ISS Short Term Impact Team Lead Soyuz MS-10
2022 Honorees:
Jeffrey Ehrsam, Kennedy Space Center, Launch Site Integration Manager
Douglas R. Fraser, Ames Research Center, Pressure Systems Manager
Eliad Peretz, Goddard Space Flight Center, Heliophysics Division, Mission and Instrument Scientist
See also
List of NASA awards
References
External links
NASA awards
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Honor Awards (1969-1978)
Exceptional Achievement Medal
Awards established in 1991
1991 establishments in the United States