2025 PRESS/PHOTO INFORMATION
Press Release
Marc Havican, Space City Films Founder, to receive the 2025 RNASA Space Communicator Award
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
February 24, 2025
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, Lindseyrc99@gmail.com
Marc earned a Bachelor's Degree in Television and Film Production from the University of Houston in 1987. After cutting his teeth with the NFL and a local NBC affiliate, Marc joined the NASA television production team in 1989. A talented writer, producer, director, and cinematographer, Marc created and directed many high-profile, award-winning projects for NASA.
It didn't take long for him to gain national recognition for his creative, innovative films. Several high-profile projects, such as a documentary for President Clinton's U.S./Russia Summit trip, cemented his reputation as a talented space filmmaker. Thanks to the success of the Space Station documentary, Marc began receiving requests to produce space industry marketing films and trade show videos for private aerospace firms.
In 1995, with moral support from his wife Marie, Marc's entrepreneurial spirit led him to leave NASA and start HavCam Productions, which was later rebranded as Space City Films. With modest savings, Marc bought a Macintosh II computer and began to write the script for his first independent film from his son's bedroom at home.
Tim Kropp, Vice President of MRI Technologies, nominated Havican saying, "There are very few individuals who have dedicated as much to telling the story of human space exploration as Marc Havican. What started as one man's desire to raise awareness of human space flight has become the foremost aerospace media and live event production company in the United States."
For more than 35 years, Marc has used his creative chops and extraordinary storytelling ability to help NASA, its contracting partners, commercial space companies, science centers, museums, and advocacy groups inform, motivate, excite, and entertain audiences.
In 2016, Havican won a prestigious Emmy Award for his short film, Soul of the Explorer, a story that follows the life of Paige, a young girl who grows up to command the first human mission to Jupiter's moon, Europa.
Space City Films' 2018 documentary film EVA 23 chronicled the story of Italian Astronaut Luca Parmitano's terrifying ordeal when water suddenly began to fill his helmet during a 2013 spacewalk. The film premiered at IMAX theaters at Space Center Houston and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex.
Marc's recent giant-screen films include Artemis: Return to the Moon (2022) and Unveiling the Universe, which premiered in October 2024.
Live event design, development, coordination, and production are just a few Havican specialties. Marc is an indispensable member of the team that coordinates and produces the annual RNASA Space Awards Gala. He also produces and directs Space Symposium in Colorado Springs and many other events around the country.
"I was flabbergasted to learn that RNASA chose to honor this old coot with the Space Communicator Award", Havican said. "It is hard to believe that I was even considered to receive an award that was presented to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, William Shatner, Rob Navias, Bill Ingalls, Jeff Carr, Veronica McGregor, Gina Sunseri, Mark Carreau, and Chris Hadfield. This is an honor that I will truly cherish."
Marc and his wife Marie have been married for 32 years. His son Austin was a cinematographer and producer/director for Space City Films, and his daughter Christa, a talented sculptor, painter, and muralist, has worked as the Trophy Assistant and Stage Manager for the RNASA Space Awards Gala since 2004.
What began as a dream to raise awareness for human space exploration has grown and evolved into a nationally recognized digital cinema, live event, and motion picture production powerhouse.
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. The previous recipients of the award are: 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; Mark Carreau, formerly of the Houston Chronicle; Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History; Veronica McGregor, Manager of News and Social Media at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Chris A. Hadfield. former Canadian Space Agency astronaut; Bill Nye (the science guy), CEO of the Planetary Society; Rob Navias, Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Mission commentator; William Shatner, actor, author, producer and director; ABC News Producer Gina Sunseri; and Bill Ingalls, senior NASA photographer.
Havican will be honored with the 2025 Space Communicator Award at RNASA's Space Awards Gala on April 25, 2025, at the Houston Hyatt Regency. Pamela Melroy, retired NASA Deputy Administrator, will receive the 2025 National Space Trophy. Please visit rnasa.org to reserve your table, purchase tickets, or inquire about sponsorship opportunities. If you would like to reserve a room for the evening, please contact the Hyatt at 713-654-1234 and inquire about the RNASA group rate.
Read the press release as a PDF.
Press Release
Pamela Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator, to receive the 2025 National Space Trophy
Rotary National Award for Space Achievement
January 14, 2025
Media Contact: Lindsey Cousins, Lindseyrc99@gmail.com
Rodolfo González, president of the RNASA Foundation, said, "The RNASA Foundation is thrilled to host Ms. Melroy as the guest of honor at the 2025 Space Awards Gala. The annual RNASA Gala is organized to recognize outstanding achievements in our field, and we look forward to celebrating Ms. Melroy's contributions to space discovery, exploration and advancement."
"Receiving the National Space Trophy is an extraordinary honor, and I share it with the countless individuals who have worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of human exploration," said Melroy. "Space is where the impossible becomes possible - it's where we dare to dream, innovate, and collaborate for the benefit of all humanity. This award is a celebration of what we've achieved and a call to keep reaching for the stars."
Melroy was nominated for the award by Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche and former Johnson Space Center Director Michael Coats. Wyche commented on Melroy's pioneering achievements, saying "she is a trailblazer who has inspired future generations to pursue careers in STEM. Her success is a testament to the pursuit of excellence opening the doors to endless possibilities." Coats wrote, "Colonel Pamela Ann Melroy has had a long and distinguished career in aviation and space. She is a role model we all want for our young people."
Melroy was sworn in as NASA's 15th Deputy Administrator on June 21, 2021 after receiving unanimous consent in the Senate. Working in sync with NASA's administrator, Melroy is responsible for communicating the agency's vision to the Office of the President, Congress, and appropriate government agencies and organizations. During her tenure, she has created policies that maximize NASA's resources and strengthen the constantly evolving global aerospace environment. She has played an integral role in the development of NASA 2040, an initiative focused on investing in the infrastructure, technology and talent needed to maintain NASA's status as the premiere space exploration institution for decades to come.
Melroy was commissioned by the Air Force ROTC program in 1983. She served as a co-pilot, aircraft commander, and instructor pilot flying the KC-10 at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
She is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Just Cause with over 200 hours of combat and combat support hours. She went on to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in 1991 where she served as a test pilot on the C-17 Combined Test Force. Melroy has logged over 6,000 hours of flight time in more than 50 aircraft.
Melroy was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1994 and reported to Johnson Space Center in March 1995. She supported astronaut launch and landing duties, advanced projects in the Astronaut Office, and performed CAPCOM duties in mission control. After the Columbia tragedy in 2003, Melroy served as Deputy Project Manager for the Survival Investigation Team.
As one of only two women to command a shuttle, Melroy has made three trips to space, totaling over 38 days. She piloted STS-92 in 2000, STS-112 in 2002 and was mission commander on STS-120 aboard Discovery in 2007. Each assembly mission to the ISS furthered the agency's 23-year research history in low Earth orbit.
Melroy shifted to the private sector in 2009 when she joined Lockheed Martin as Deputy Program Manager of Orion Space Exploration Initiatives. There, she oversaw the Orion spacecraft's budget and engineering team. She went on to serve in leadership roles as the FAA, DARPA, Nova Systems Pty, Australia, and the National Space Council's User Advisory Group.
Melroy is the recipient of numerous honors including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, and the AIAA Public Service Medal. She was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2020 and is an Associate Fellow for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Melroy holds a bachelor's degree in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College and a master's degree in Earth and planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The RNASA Foundation invites members of the public and the aerospace community to attend the black-tie event on April 25, 2025, at the Houston Hyatt Regency, where Melroy will be presented with the National Space Trophy during the 37th annual RNASA Space Awards gala. Please visit rnasa.org to reserve your table, purchase tickets, or inquire about sponsorship opportunities. If you would like to reserve a room for the evening, please contact the Hyatt at 713-654-1234 and inquire about the RNASA group rate.
Read the press release as a Word document.