2014 PRESS/PHOTO INFORMATION
Press Release
RNASA Donates $29,466 to Aerospace Education Programs
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
August 28, 2014
Media Contact: Pat Patton, 281-701-2930, patpatton@rnasa.org
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Stacey Welch - Education Specialist from Texas Aerospace Scholars program (left), RNASA Foundation President Rodolfo González (center) and RNASA Foundation Treasurer Geoff Atwater (right) presenting a check to Stacey Welch on behalf of the NASA Texas Aerospace Scholars Program
(Patton, 2014)
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation President Rodolfo González said, "The RNASA Foundation is very grateful to our generous corporate sponsors who accomplish so much in our nation's space programs. It is very fitting that the proceeds yielded from the 2014 Space Gala be invested in programs that inspire our future engineers and leaders".
The RNASA Foundation hosts a gala awards celebration each year to honor individuals and teams for their accomplishments in aerospace. The RNASA Foundation presented its top award, the National Space Trophy, to the Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator, retired Major General United States Marine Corps (Ret.) and former NASA astronaut, STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-45, and STS-60 on April 11, 2014, at the Houston Hyatt Regency.
RNASA has donated $10,000 of this year's gala proceeds in honor of the winner of the 2014 National Space Trophy, Major General Charles F. Bolden Jr. USMC (Ret.). General Bolden designated $5,000 to the Military Child Education Coalition and $5,000 to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
González told the RNASA Foundation directors and guests that the total donation of $14,466 was made to the NASA Texas Aerospace Scholars program which consists of a $5,000 donation directly from the RNASA Foundation and a $9,466 donation for the sake of polo shirts for the participants of the 2014 summer program. NASA Aerospace Scholars is implemented through a cooperative agreement between Texas A&M University/Oklahoma State University and the Johnson Space Center.
RNASA also chose to donate to the 747 Carrier Project in the amount of $5,000. Space Center Houston is building an exciting new $12 million complex to celebrate Houston's leading role in space exploration. This new Texas landmark will be the first place in the world where visitors can see the full-scale Space Shuttle model and iconic Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA-905) in classic piggyback configuration.
González introduced special guest, RNASA's 2005 National Space Trophy winner, Glynn S. Lunney, who was a key figure in America's manned space program from Project Mercury through the coming of the Space Shuttle. Lunney was a flight director during the Gemini and Apollo programs, and was on duty during historic events such as the Apollo 11 lunar ascent and the pivotal hours of the Apollo 13 crisis.
González and RNASA Foundation Treasurer Geoff Atwater made the presentation to Stacey Welch, Education Specialist from Texas A&M, who gratefully accepted the donation on behalf of the NASA Texas Aerospace Scholars Program.
Welch shared the impact of the program by quoting a student, "We were privileged to see the ISS mission control room and to hear from several NASA employees. On Tuesday night, a previous flight director for NASA, Milt Heflin, spoke to us. He told us many life lessons, and one in particular stood out to me. He said that the trophies, the awards, and even the money eventually lose significance. He said that the things that never lose significance, however, are your contributions. I realized that I do not want an engineering job where I design something that will not help people, even if I get a large paycheck. Because of this HAS experience, I was able to witness how engineers at NASA have changed the globe with their spinoff technologies. This week showed me that I, too, can make a difference... I, too want to make an impact... and leave my footprint on the earth."
The Texas Aerospace Scholars consists of Texas middle-school, high school programs and community college and internships; Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars (WISH), a nationwide program; and The National Community College Aerospace Scholars.
The RNASA Foundation's 29th annual gala will be held at the Houston Hyatt Regency on April 24, 2015. For information on sponsorship opportunities and photos from previous events, please visit www.rnasa.org.
About the RNASA Foundation: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas, in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The National Space Trophy and other awards were presented this year at the RNASA Gala on April 11, 2014. The 2015 National Space Trophy and other awards will be presented at a gala on April 24, 2015. See http://www.rnasa.org for more information.
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Press Release
RNASA Foundation Honors NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
May 6, 2014
Media Contact: Pat Patton, 281-701-2930, patpatton@rnasa.org
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NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr., retired United States Marine Corps Major General and former astronaut (left) received the 2014 National Space Trophy from Col. Robert Cabana, Director of the Kennedy Space Center and former astronaut, on April 11, 2014, at the RNASA Gala at the Houston Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas.
(NASA photo, 2014)
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Space Communicator Presenter, Veronica McGregor, the 2013 Space Communicator Award winner, and Manager of News and Social Media at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California taking a selfie with former astronaut Chris A. Hadfield, 2014 Space Communicator Award Recipient on the screen (left) on April 11, 2014, at the RNASA Gala at the Houston Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas. Hadfield, who could not attend the event in person, accepted the award via video recording.
(NASA photo, 2014)
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Former Canadian Space Agency astronaut (STS-74, STS-100, and International Space Station mission Soyuz TMA-07M), author, and musician Chris A. Hadfield was honored with RNASA's 2014 Space Communicator Award at the RNASA Gala at the Houston Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas on April 11, 2014. Hadfield, who could not attend the event in person, accepted the award via video recording.
(Canadian Space Agency photo)
After a reception featuring pianist Victoria Riva-Dorsch, RNASA Foundation Chairman Rodolfo González welcomed the 800 guests to RNASA's 28th annual gala. He said, "RNASA's mission is to encourage, recognize, honor and celebrate U.S. space achievements from across the entire country and across all sectors."
The Clear Lake High School Clear Lake ISD JROTC Color Guard presented the colors. The Love Antioch Brothers from the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church sang the National Anthem, and Elder Daniel Jones of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave the invocation.
The RNASA program kicked off with a year-in-review film by Space City Films. The master of ceremonies, Former CNN correspondent John Zarrella introduced the keynote speaker Frank L. Culbertson, Senior VP, Orbital Sciences. Zarrella said, "During his 18 years as a NASA astronaut, Frank flew three missions, and as part of the Expedition III crew, he spent 129 days on orbit on the International Space Station in 2001."
Culbertson urged the members of the aerospace community in the audience, especially the younger people, "to enthusiastically support human space flight." He also said, "You can certainly take inspiration and confidence from the courage and leadership ability of people like Charlie Bolden and Dave Thompson and the other giants of aerospace you are sitting with tonight. Without the same such courage, such foresight, and such commitment from all of you we will gradually lose leadership in the world, and worse, we will lose the future that our predecessors established while breaking the barriers, forcing through the hard programs, such as Apollo, Shuttle and Station, taking huge risks, and by building the organizations that make our industry successful."
Veronica McGregor, the 2013 Space Communicator Award winner, and Manager of News and Social Media at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, presented the 2014 Space Communicator Award to former Canadian Space Agency astronaut (STS-74, STS-100, and International Space Station mission Soyuz TMA-07M), author, and musician Chris A. Hadfield via video recording. McGregor said that Hadfield used social media extensively during his space missions.
Hadfield, who could not attend the event in person, accepted the award via video recording. He said, "I accept it, of course, on behalf of me and my family, but much more so on behalf of all of the other people that worked so hard to communicate the experience of spaceflight, specifically during the five months that I was on board the International Space Station."
The Stellar Award winners were announced by NASA Astronauts Dr. Karen LuJean Nyberg, STS-124, and Col. (Ret.) Douglas G. Hurley, STS-127 and STS-135, who then presented them with engraved marble trophies donated by ATK. The Stellar Awards were presented in four categories: Early Career, Mid-Career, Late Career, and Team.
Col. Robert Cabana, Director of the Kennedy Space Center and former astronaut, STS-41, STS-53, STS-65 and STS-88, presented the 2014 Rotary National Award for Space Achievement to NASA Administrator Bolden. Cabana said, "There is no one more passionate about what we do and the need for us to be successful and remain a world leader."
NASA Administrator Bolden said that he was "honored and humbled" by the award. He said, "but when I remind myself that this award is actually an affirmation of the incredible work done by the NASA family, both civil servants and contractors, over many decades now, I'm honored to accept it on behalf of each and every one of the members of our superb team. I'm blessed to be surrounded by the best leadership team in any organization anywhere."
Major General Joe H. Engle USAF (Ret.) and former astronaut (X-15 Flight 138, X-15 Flight 143, X-15 Flight 153, ALT, STS-2, STS-51-I) presented an OMEGA watch to Bolden. Engle spoke about the role OMEGA watches have played throughout the space program before presenting one to NASA Administrator Bolden. Engle spoke of his own OMEGA watch, saying in closing, "Charlie, that was fifty years ago. And, I am not kidding you. This very watch is what I was flying the X-15 in. It is still working. It's worked good for fifty years. So fifty years from now, Charlie, if you start having any problems with this watch, go hit up Kiwan (Anderson from OMEGA) right down there at Table 7, and he will take care of you."
Eagle Applied Sciences donated the portrait of Bolden by Pat Rawlings, which was on display at the gala and used as the cover of the souvenir program. The painting will become part of the National Space Trophy display at Space Center Houston until after next year's event.
RNASA Chairman Rodolfo González concluded the evening by thanking the Foundation's 39 corporate sponsors whose support and achievements made the event possible: a.i. solutions Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne, The Aerospace Corporation, ARES Corporation, ATK, Barrios Technology, Bastion Technologies Inc., The Boeing Company, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cimarron, DB Consulting Group, Inc., Draper Laboratory, Eagle Applied Sciences LLC, ERC, Fisher Space Pens, GeoControl System, Inc., Honeywell, Intuitive Machines, Jacobs, Keystone Engineering Company, L-3 STRATIS, Lockheed Martin, MEI Technologies, Inc., MRI Technologies, National Space Biomedical Research Institute, Oceaneering International, Inc., OMEGA Watches, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Raytheon, SAIC, SGT. Inc., Sierra Nevada Corporation, Space Foundation, Space X, Tesseda & Associates, Inc., United Space Alliance, University of Houston-Clear Lake, UTC Aerospace Systems, and Wyle.
Visit http://www.rnasa.org/photos.html#2014 for images from the event.
About the RNASA Foundation: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas, in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The National Space Trophy and other awards were presented this year at the RNASA Gala on April 11, 2014.
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Press Release
2014 RNASA Stellar Award Winners Announced
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
April 17, 2014
Media Contact: Pat Patton, 281-701-2930, patpatton@rnasa.org
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L to R: Doug Hurley (presenting), Capt. David Hillshafer, Charles Gray, Cary Maunder, Capt. Philip Swenson, Shana Diez, Adam Amar, Kavya Manyapu, Karen Nyberg (presenting), Not pictured: Jerald Webber (NASA photo, 2014)
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L to R: Karen Nyberg (presenting), Ian Ballinger, David Steffy (for Michael Dorsch), Michael Orlowski, Brian Sproles, James Nicholson, Robert Durkin, Doug Hurley (presenting), Not pictured: Maj. Robert Beal, Robert Douglass (NASA photo, 2014)
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L to R: Doug Hurley (presenting), Tom Mulder, Ross Hewitt, Lucy Kranz, Maj. Gen. W. Neil McCasland, Keith Davies, Ty Dalton, Scott Vogt, Dr. David King, Karen Nyberg (presenting), Not Pictured: Thomas Freeman (NASA photo, 2014)
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L to R: Karen Nyberg (presenting), Ed Monteiro-Knight (ISS Intg. Comm, Boeing), Eric Pearce (Space Surveillance Telescope, DARPA), Liang Shen (ISS Primary Structure Life Extension Team, Boeing), Justin Jackson (Composite Cryotank Tech Demo, NASA GRC), Louis Breger (Cygnus Guidance, Navigation & Targeting Team, Draper), Michael Laidley (Antares Launch Vehicle, Orbital), Todd May (Space Launch System Team, NASA MSFC), William Hollister (Contingency EVA Team, UTC), Frank DeMauro (Cygnus Development Team, Orbital), Robert Hellekson (James Webb Space Telescope, ATK), Doug Hurley (presenting) (NASA photo, 2014)
Every year, the aerospace community anxiously awaits the announcement of the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Stellar Award winners.
The 2014 Stellar Awards Evaluation Panel, Dr. Glynn S. Lunney, Arnold D. Aldrich, and General Kevin P. Chilton, USAF (Ret.), selected the winners based on which accomplishments hold the greatest promise for furthering future activities in space and how well it meets the goal of recognizing "unsung heroes."
Out of 164 nominations received, the Panel selected 35 individuals and ten teams for recognition.
Prior to the evening's festivities, all nominees were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of Johnson Space Center and a luncheon at the South Shore Harbour Hotel. Stellar Awards Committee Chair Jennifer Devolites welcomed the nominees, "You're here because you are excellent," and asked the nominees to consider using their excellence to provide leadership to others, take on mentoring, and to also take risks and get outside of their comfort zones with regard to what they already do well.
RNASA Treasurer Geoff Atwater then told them that the RNASA Foundation's purpose is to "encourage, recognize, honor, and celebrate U.S. space achievements. We're here to honor you."
He introduced Space Center Rotary Club President, Sheryl Berg, who said that "Rotary, as the largest community service organization in the world, has played a major part in ridding the word of polio. At last year's RNASA luncheon, polio was confined to four countries. This year, that number is only 3--that is progress!"
NASA Astronaut Dr. Stanley G. Love, STS-122, was the featured speaker at the Stellar Awards luncheon, and his topic was "Why it's hard to get to Mars".
Each nominee received a Fisher Space Pen donated by the company. The Fisher Space Pen was originally carried by the astronauts of the Apollo moon missions and is still used on manned space flights to this day. They are precision assembled, hand tested, and guaranteed to perform underwater, at any angle including upside down, in extreme temperatures, and of course in zero gravity.The nominees also received copies of former Canadian Space Agency astronaut (STS-74, STS-100, and International Space Station mission Soyuz TMA-07M), Chris A. Hadfield's book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth". Hadfield was honored with RNASA's 2014 Space Communicator Award during the RNASA Gala.
All the Stellar nominees had their photo taken as they received a special commemorative certificate with a United States flag that was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-108, December 5 - 17, 2001.
The Stellar Award winners were announced at the evening gala by Astronauts Col. (Ret.) Douglas G. Hurley, STS-127 and STS-135, and Dr. Karen LuJean Nyberg, STS-124, who then presented them with engraved marble trophies donated by ATK. The winners in each of the four categories, Early Career, Mid-Career, Late Career and Team are:
2014 Stellar Award Winners in the Early Career Category
Kavya Manyapu of Boeing - Exceptional commercial crew spacecraft test planning and flight test article design fidelity.
Adam J. Amar of NASA Johnson Space Center - Outstanding efforts in support of human spacecraft development, and pioneering contributions to the field of multi-physics analytical tool development.
Shana Diez of SpaceX - Outstanding technical expertise and leadership of reusability for the SpaceX Grasshopper and F9R development vehicle programs, representing critical steps toward the goal of building reusable rockets.
Capt. Philip H. Swenson of United States Air Force - Exemplary technical skill producing Atlas V rockets and outstanding leadership in the successful integration, test and launch of National Reconnaissance Office satellites.
Cary Maunder of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Outstanding technical contributions in designing and developing the Generalized Predictor Guidance and Nutation/Precession Control Algorithm for the Minotaur V LADEE mission.
Charles W. Gray of Booz Allen Hamilton - Exceptional innovation and leadership in the ISS program office.
Jerald A. Webber of Boeing - Outstanding achievements in advancing human spaceflight through excellence in leadership of propulsion systems analysis and design.
Capt. David E. Hillshafer of United States Air Force - Exceptional leadership in implementing innovative solutions to provide a new on-demand weather capability for combatant commanders and the space community.
2014 Stellar Award Winners in the Mid Career Category
Robert J. Durkin of NASA Johnson Space Center - Outstanding leadership of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory during post-Shuttle transition while evolving commercial services in the mission critical, government facility.
James Nicholson of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Outstanding leadership and technical Management as Chief Engineer of Orbital Sciences Cygnus Spacecraft.
Maj. Robert J. Beal of United States Air Force - Intense leadership and drive in the development of the next-generation imaging and space-control technologies, and foundational efforts developing improved processes for national systems.
Brian R. Sproles of Aerojet Rocketdyne - Outstanding leadership to the test operations of human rated rocket propulsion systems for more than twenty seven years.
Robert A. Douglass of United States Air Force - Exceptional leadership of space missions, including expertise that resulted in the successful launch of the NASA Lunar Atmosphere Dust and Exploration Experiment and the Operationally Responsive Space Office Space Test Program-3 satellite.
Michael R. Orlowski of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Outstanding leadership as the Mission Operations Director of the Orbital COTS Cygnus -D1 Demonstration Mission and follow-on Commercial Re-Supply Services Missions.
Michael S. Dorsch of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Outstanding technical leadership of the development of the new Antares Medium Class Launch Vehicle that resulted in a fully successful first flight to orbit on April 21st, 2013.
Ian A. Ballinger of Keystone Engineering Company - Pioneering industry engineering leadership in the field of spacecraft propellant tanks and composite overwrapped pressure vessels.
2014 Stellar Award Winners in the Late Career Category
Scott T. Vogt of Aerojet Rocketdyne - Outstanding leadership in the development, production, and flight of critical manned flight systems spanning a successful career of over 35 years.
Thomas H. Freeman of United States Air Force - Exceptional leadership of space missions, including expertise that resulted in the successful launch of the NASA Lunar Atmosphere Dust and Exploration Experiment and the Operationally Responsive Space Office Space Test Program-3 satellite.
Ty Dalton of ATK - Innovation in composite and metallic structures for human spaceflight and unmanned space vehicles.
Keith Davies of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Outstanding leadership and technical management as Lead Cygnus Vehicle Manager.
Lucy V. Kranz of NASA Johnson Space Center - Outstanding leadership and expertise in the programmatic control of large Human Spaceflight Programs and personal dedication to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's mission.
Ross A. Hewitt of Aerojet Rocketdyne - Outstanding leadership in the development, production, and flight of critical rocket propulsion systems spanning 50 years.
Maj. Gen. William N. McCasland of United States Air Force - Pioneering space solutions for the warfighter and the Nation by developing new technologies, acquiring and operating the latest space systems, and influencing national space policy for over 30 years.
Tom A. Mulder of Boeing - Outstanding contributions to Boeing's Commercial Crew Transportation System development.
Dr. David Q. King of Aerojet Rocketdyne - Outstanding technical leadership in the advancement of electrical propulsion for thirty-seven years.
2014 Stellar Award Winners in the Team Category
Contingency EVA Team of UTC Aerospace Systems - Outstanding achievement in preparation for and execution of a contingency EVA to eliminate an ammonia leak that jeopardized the ISS.
Cygnus Development Team of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Successful development and launch of a new safe, reliable, and affordable commercial space transportation system, enabling future growth of our Nation's space program.
Space Launch System (SLS) Team of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center - Exceptional technical and programmatic excellence in the design, development, and maturation of the Space Launch System, this nation's next great heavy lift launch vehicle.
Cygnus Guidance, Navigation & Targeting Team of Draper Laboratory - Outstanding technical excellence and innovative, first time accomplishments in guidance, navigation, and targeting software for the COTS Cygnus vehicle.
International Space Station Primary Structure Life Extension Team of Boeing - Superior team work, dedication, and technical proficiency demonstrated in successfully extending the International Space Station primary structure life through 2020.
Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) Team of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - Outstanding technical excellence in the development and demonstration of a ground-based telescope to address gaps in observational coverage that hamper space situational awareness in operational space.
ISS Integrated Comm Unit (ICU) Development Team of Boeing - Forward-thinking and leadership in the development of the integrated communication unit, providing ISS expanded science data bandwidth and a flexible architecture for the future.
Composite Cryotank Technology Demonstration (CCTD) Team of NASA Glenn Research Center - Outstanding technical excellence in development and demonstration of low cost, lightweight composite cryogenic propellant tanks for future heavy lift vehicles and other in-space applications.
Antares Launch Vehicle Program of Orbital Sciences Corporation - Successful development of the new Antares Medium Class Launch Vehicle that resulted in a fully successful first flight to orbit on April 21st, 2013.
James Webb Space Telescope Engineering/Manufacturing Team of ATK - Successful completion of the state-of-the-art thermally stable JWST primary mirror support structure, a significant milestone for the NASA Flagship mission.
Visit http://www.rnasa.org/photos.html for images from the event. Individual photos of each nominee and winner are available upon request.
The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation's black tie Gala on April 11, 2014, was recorded live, in its entirety, by Space City Films and was aired on NASA TV twice on April 15, and twice on April 16, 2014. NASA TV is carried by DirecTV, Dish Network, TVRO, several cable providers, and UStream.
About the RNASA Foundation: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The National Space Trophy and other awards were presented this year at the RNASA Gala on April 11, 2014.
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Press Release
Rotary Gala Honors Unsung Heroes of Space
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
March 11, 2014
Media Contact: Pat Patton, 281-701-2930, patpatton@rnasa.org
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National Space Trophy presenter,
Kennedy Space Center Director
and former astronaut Col. Robert Cabana
(Photo by Robert Cabana)
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Master of Ceremonies, Former CNN
correspondent John Zarrella
(Photo by John Zarrella)
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Space Communicator Award presenter,
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Manager of News and Social Media Veronica McGregor
(Photo by Veronica McGregor, 2012)
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Stellar Awards Luncheon Speaker
NASA Astronaut Stanley G. Love
(NASA photo, 2008)
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Stellar Award Presenter
NASA Astronaut Doug Hurley
(NASA photo, 2011)
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Stellar Award Presenter
NASA Astronaut Karen Nyberg
(NASA photo, 2007)
When people think of achievements in space, they usually think of astronauts or they might picture spacecraft like the Mars Curiosity rover bravely exploring the unknown, but it is the dedication of the workers on Earth that make the astronaut's historic deeds possible.
To publicly recognize all the "unsung heroes" of the space program alongside the more well-known achievers, the Rotary National Awards for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was formed by the Space Center Rotary Club in 1985, and presents an American citizen with the National Space Trophy each year.
This year the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation will present its top award, the 2014 National Space Trophy (NST), to the Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator, retired Major General United States Marine Corps (Ret.) and former NASA astronaut, STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-45, and STS-60.
Col. Robert Cabana, Director of the Kennedy Space Center and former astronaut, STS-41, STS-53, STS-65 and STS-88, will present the 2014 Rotary National Award for Space Achievement to Bolden. Bolden was nominated by Cabana and Robert Jacobs, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Communications.
Former CNN correspondent John Zarrella will serve as the Master of Ceremonies; Veronica McGregor, the 2013 Space Communicator Award winner, and Manager of News and Social Media at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will be presenting the 2014 Space Communicator Award to former Canadian Space Agency astronaut (STS-74, STS-100, and International Space Station mission Soyuz TMA-07M), author, and musician Chris A. Hadfield. Gemini/Apollo Astronaut Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford, USAF (Ret.), will present an OMEGA watch to Bolden. David W. Thompson, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Orbital Sciences Corporation will be the Keynote Speaker.
The RNASA Foundation's Board of Advisors selects the NST honoree each year and represents a Who's Who of government and corporate aerospace leaders, including former Trophy and Space Communicator Award recipients.
The RNASA Stellar Awards Evaluation Panel selects the winners from nominations received from industry and government based on whose accomplishments hold the greatest promise for furthering activities in space and the extent to which the nominee meets the goal of recognizing "unsung heroes". The 2014 judges are Dr. Glynn S. Lunney, Arnold D. Aldrich, and Gen. Kevin P. Chilton.
RNASA Chairman Rodolfo González said, "We received 51 government and 113 corporate nominations for awards this year." The nominations came from Aerojet Rocketdyne, ARES, ATK, Barrios, Bastion Technologies, Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, Catholic University of America, DARPA, Draper, Jacobs, Keystone Engineering, L-3 Communications, L-3 STRATIS, Lockheed Martin, MEI Technologies, National Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, NASA Kennedy Space Center, NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA White Sands Test Facility, National Reconnaissance Office, Oceaneering Space Systems, Orbital Sciences Corporation, SpaceX, United Space Alliance, United States Air Force, United States Air Force Research Laboratory, and United Technologies Aerospace Systems."
The Stellar Award nominees and team representatives will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Johnson Space Center and a luncheon presentation by NASA Astronaut Dr. Stanley G. Love, STS-132. He flew on STS-122 Atlantis from February 7 to February 20, 2008, logging more than 306 hours in space, including more than 15 hours in two spacewalks.
The Stellar Award winners will receive engraved marble trophies generously sponsored by ATK. The trophies will be presented by Astronaut Dr. Karen LuJean Nyberg, STS-124, and Astronaut Col. (Ret.) Douglas G. Hurley, STS-127 and STS-135. Nyberg flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on STS-124 Discovery and became the 50th woman in space on her first mission. She also flew on Expedition 36/37. Hurley flew on STS-127 and was a pilot on STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle program in July 2011. He has logged over 3,200 hours in more than 22 aircraft.
The Stellar Awards Committee Chairman Jennifer Devolites, RNASA Foundation Chairman Rodolfo González, RNASA Committee NASA Liaison Duane Ross, and Space Center Rotary Club President Sheryl Berg will also address the nominees at the Stellar Awards luncheon. All nominees will be presented with framed certificates and will attend the evening gala when the winners are announced.
The reception begins at 6 p.m. with music by pianist Victoria Reva-Dorsch. The welcome by RNASA Chairman Rodolfo González is at 7 p.m., followed by presentation of the colors by the color guard from Clear Lake High School Army JROTC. The national anthem will be sung by the Love Antioch Brothers. Elder Daniel Jones, of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will do the invocation. After dinner, the awards ceremony will kick off with a multimedia show summarizing the year's space events produced by Space City Films.
RNASA's black-tie gala is open to the public. Individual tickets are $300, and corporate tables range from $2,000 to $5,000. To make reservations, visit http://www.rnasa.org/.
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Press Release
Former Astronaut Chris A. Hadfield to Receive Space Communicator Award
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
February 18, 2014
Media Contact: Pat Patton, 281-701-2930, patpatton@rnasa.org
The citation reads "Astronaut, test pilot, engineer! Space walker, scientist, musician! Tweeter extraordinaire and social media phenomenon! Global celebrity! Expedition 35 International Space Station Commander, Chris Hadfield, is all these things and more!"
Jim Crocker, Vice President - General Manager Civil Space, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, who nominated Hadfield, said "His credentials to serve as the RNASA Space Communicator Award winner for 2014 are impeccable, persuasive, unquestionable and unmatched. The opportunity to recognize a genuine space hero who in every respect personifies the qualities and standing of the Space Communicator Award now belongs to RNASA".
Hadfield said, "It is a thrill to be recognized for something that I enjoy doing so much. Sharing the experience and the importance of human space flight with people around the world has been, for me, both a duty and privilege. Technology has lowered barriers to communicating to and from anywhere on or off our planet, making it easy to connect on a variety of levels. I hope my efforts will inspire others to take up the calling to share their part in the unfolding story of human space exploration".
Hadfield received his glider pilot license in high school, became a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and earned a mechanical engineering degree at the Royal Military College.
During his military career, Hadfield attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and also received a Masters in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He retired from the military as a Colonel in 2003 with 25 years' service, having flown more than 70 different types of aircraft.
Hadfield is a veteran of three space missions: Shuttle missions STS-74, STS-100, and International Space Station mission Soyuz TMA-07M. He was the first Canadian to operate the Space Shuttle's Canadarm in space, the first Canadian to walk in space, and the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station.
Hadfield retired from the Astronaut Corps in July 2013, following his third trip to space and his five months as ISS Commander. He will be a professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, in the fall of 2014.
Hadfield's awards and military decorations include the Appointment to the Order of Ontario in 1996, receipt of the Vanier Award in 2001, NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2002, Meritorious Service Cross, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He is the only Canadian to have received both a military and civilian Meritorious Service Cross, the military medal in 2001 and the civilian one in 2013.
In 1988, Hadfield was granted the Liethen-Tittle Award (top pilot graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School) and was named US Navy Test Pilot of the Year in 1991. He was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2005. Upon taking command of the International Space Station, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, sent Hadfield a personal message of congratulations. Hadfield was commemorated on Royal Canadian Mint silver and gold coins for his spacewalk to install Canadarm2 on the International Space Station in 2001.
Hadfield is also an author, musician, and a social media expert. His new book is entitled "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth". Hadfield has a Twitter account with more than 1,000,000 followers, and also a Tumblr blog. He has had multiple YouTube releases of songs and performances. Forbes magazine described Hadfield as "perhaps the most social media savvy astronaut to ever leave Earth."
The RNASA Space Communicator Award was created in 1997 in honor of KTRK, Houston Channel 13 space reporter and long-time RNASA Advisor Stephen Gauvain who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1996. The Award is presented to an individual or team that makes exceptional contributions to public understanding and appreciation of space exploration. Previous recipients include: William Harwood of CBS; Miles O'Brien, formerly of CNN; Elliot Pulham of the Space Foundation; the NASA-Contractor Communications team that responded to the Columbia accident; and Mark Carreau, formerly of the Houston Chronicle; and Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and Veronica McGregor, Manager of News and Social Media at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
Hadfield will be honored with the 2014 Space Communicator Award in at the RNASA annual black-tie gala to be held on Friday, April 11, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency Houston. The Master of Ceremonies will be American news correspondent John Zarrella. Zarrella was the principal correspondent for CNN's coverage of the U.S. space program from 1981-2013, and he covered the final flights of the Space Shuttle program. The Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator, retired Major General United States Marine Corps and former NASA astronaut, will receive the prestigious 2014 National Space Trophy at this event.
Corporate tickets can be obtained by contacting Bill Taylor at sales@rnasa.org, or by using this link - http://www.rnasa.org/tables.html. To make a hotel reservation at the Houston Hyatt Regency, please use this link - http://www.rnasa.org/houston.html, or call 713-654-1234. For more information about the RNASA Foundation and the RNASA Gala on April 11th the RNASA website is http://www.rnasa.org/.
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Press Release
The Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator, retired Major General United States Marine Corps and former NASA astronaut to Receive the National Space Trophy
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
January 21, 2014
Media Contact: Pat Patton, 281-701-2930, patpatton@rnasa.org
Bolden was nominated by Col. Robert Cabana, Director of the Kennedy Space Center and former astronaut, STS-41, STS-53, STS-65 and STS-88, and by Mr. Robert Jacobs, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Communications.
Cabana nominated Bolden for his "many years of dedicated service and exceptional leadership through an extremely challenging transition in America's space program, establishing NASA's exploration architecture for the future, and enabling successful commercial operations to low Earth orbit," and Jacobs nominated Bolden for his "dedication to public service, leadership, and contributions to aeronautics and aerospace throughout a distinguished military and civilian career."
Rodolfo González, President of the RNASA Foundation said, "We are very pleased with the selection of the board of advisors and look forward to celebrating General Bolden's exemplary service."
NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles F. Bolden, Jr. said, "I am humbled by this selection and will be extremely honored to attend the RNASA Gala in April to accept this award on behalf of the entire NASA-Contractor Team I am privileged to lead."
NASA Administrator Bolden was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 12th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He began his duties as head of the agency on July 17, 2009.
As Administrator, Bolden leads a nationwide NASA team to advance the missions and goals of the U.S. space program.
During Bolden's tenure, the agency's science activities include an unprecedented landing on Mars with the Curiosity rover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, enhancing the nation's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, and continued progress toward the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
A veteran of four space flights, he has logged over 680 hours in space. Bolden served as pilot on STS-61-C (January 12 - 18, 1986) and STS-31 (April 24 - 29, 1990), and was the mission commander on STS-45 (March 24, 1992 - April 2, 1992), and STS-60 (February 3-11, 1994).
Bolden earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977. In 1978, he was assigned to the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., and completed his training in 1979.
Bolden's 34-year career with the Marine Corps also included 14 years as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office. Bolden's military decorations include the Navy Astronaut Badge, Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (1 award star), Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1 oak leaf cluster), Air Medal (1 award star and Strike/Flight numeral 8), NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal (2 award stars), NASA Space Flight Medal (3 award stars), Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal (1 service star), Vietnam Service Medal (2 service stars), Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
On August 28, 2012, Bolden was the first human to have his voice broadcast on the surface of Mars or any other planet. Although the Curiosity rover has no speakers, it received the transmission of his voice and then beamed it back to Earth.
Bolden is married to the former Alexis (Jackie) Walker of Columbia, South Carolina. Their family consists of son Che', a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps, daughter-in-law Penelope "Penny" Jan McDougle from Sydney, Australia, three granddaughters, Mikaley, Kyra, and Yalia, and daughter Kelly Michelle, a plastic surgeon at the Howard University Hospital in Washington.
The RNASA Foundation invites members of the public and the aerospace community to attend the black-tie event on April 11, 2014, at the Houston Hyatt Regency where NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr., will be recognized with the National Space Trophy. Please use http://www.rnasa.org/houston.html to make a hotel reservation at the Houston Hyatt Regency. The telephone number is 713-654-1234.
Please use http://www.rnasa.org/tables.html to reserve your table for the RNASA Banquet, and for information about sponsorships and tickets. The RNASA website is http://www.rnasa.org/.
About RNASA: The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation was founded by the Space Center Rotary Club of Houston, Texas in 1985 to organize and coordinate an annual event to recognize outstanding achievements in space and create greater public awareness of the benefits of space exploration. The nonprofit Foundation presents the National Space Trophy and Stellar Awards each year.
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