2024 Stellar Award Nominees by Affiliation

Each fall, the RNASA Foundation solicits Stellar Award nominations of space industry workers and teams deserving of special recognition. In 2024, 40 government, 117 corporate, and 4 joint government/corporate nominations were received in four categories, Early Career, Mid Career, Late Career, and Team.

And the nominees are:

Aegis Aerospace

Ben W. Asher
Sarah Moudy
Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) Team
Space Test Program H8 Team

Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris

Justin De Castro
Jai Eller
Drew A. Harris III
Rachel Hsiong
Sean Kurizaki
Isaac J. Monical
Bob Petrie
Ryan Warner

Air Force Research Laboratory

Jay M. Albert
Kerianne L. Hobbs
Jeremy A. Raley
Richard S. Zappulla II
Air Force Hack-A-Sat (HAS) Team
Demonstrations and Science Experiments (DSX) Team
Laser Beacon Team

ARES Corporation

Bruce Chamberlain
International Space Station (ISS) Integrated Risk Insight System (IRIS) Team

ASRC Federal

Lauren A. Henrichsen

ASTRION

Joshua D. Wilkins

Axiom Space

Colton Barnes
Monica Greeley
Sly Hampton
Melissa Harris
George Motter
Ed Powers
Peyton Ratliff
Mark Swann
Mitch Sweeney
Robert Ward
Kirsten Whittingham
In-Space Solutions Team
Medical Operations Team
Pressure Garment Team
Strategic Communication Team

Barrios Technology

Dan P. Garguilo
Martin Tschirschwitz
Chris I. Vodney

Blue Origin

Eloisa J. Baez Jones
Michelle E. Costenaro
New Glenn Stage 1 Qualification Tank Strake Test Team

Booz Allen Hamilton

RJ Dirscherl
Vini Sundaram

CACI, Inc

Keaton Dodd
Joe A. Valerioti

Collins Aerospace

Grace Moss
Jeff Outlaw

Jacobs

Michael A. Cabrera
Veronica C. Gonzalez
Robin L. Hetherington
Phill M. Hicks
Samuel A. Janssen
Eduardo G. Llama
Luis A. Ortiz
Shelby Rode
John H. Tatum
Dan P. Telisky
Gateway Loads and Dynamics Team
Jacobs Advanced Manufacturing Team

KBR

Yaritza Hernandez
Josh A. Kivijarv
Keith Kreutzberg
David S. Martin
Bernadette Walls
Brent Williamson
Artemis II Simulation Training Load Team

Leidos

Micah Johnson
Shellie Vaughan

Lockheed Martin

Sandy Freund Kasper
Lisa D. May
Dylan C. Powell
GPS III Space Vehicle 06 Team
Orion Program Multi-Hatch System Mechanisms Team
OSIRIS-REx Mission Team

MRI Technologies

Mike A. Fielden

NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Life Sciences Platform Team

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

OSIRIS-REx Mission Team

NASA Johnson Space Center

Molly S. Anderson
Kristen N. Breitenbach
John C. Coggeshall
Dom L. Del Rosso
Paul Barclay Delaune
Chuck Dingell
Mark A. Elder
Paul W. Felker
Chris R. Goetter
Breanna J. Johnson
Richard S. Jones
Clare M. Luckey
Cuong Q. Nguyen
Sam M. Pedrotty
Kara M. Pohlkamp
Cargo Mission Manager Team
Orion Program Multi-Hatch System Mechanisms Team
Small Emergency Mask Project Team

NASA Kennedy Space Center

Edrick L. Jackson
Michele R. Taylor
Sam Testa

NASA Langley Research Center

John R. Cooper
Heather K. Hickman

Northrop Grumman

Chris Abbott
Kellee D. Ash
Sean Chait
Abe Fuji
Neilan Haggard
Michael Heywood
Kelly A. Long
Staten A Longo
Oliver B. Ortiz
Jonathan Rustick
Peter Sveum
Jennie Wang
NG-18 Solar Array Deployment Anomaly Team

Paragon Space Development Corporation

Jonathan Anthony
Paragon HALO ECLSS Team

S&K Global Solutions LLC

Mike R. Maroon

SAIC

Bob W. Cooke
Michele H. Kocen
Evelyn L. Volter

The Boeing Company

Julianna L. Bethune
Chandler T. Clark
Sam Golter
Jaime D. Harmon
Melissa C. Hizon
Jennifer C. Hodge
Andrea Kelly
Paul A. Krause
Jeff Lackey
Tim E. Lafortune
Yassaman Liaghati
Bret E. McAfee
Dana M. Pirker
Carter E. Reznik
James W. Savage
Daniel M Simunovic
Chang H. Son
Mark S. Sorensen
Ted A. Szelag
Josh M. Turner
Marlon Vasquez
Mike R. West
Neil T. White
Artemis I Vibration Shock and Acoustic (VS&A) In-Flight Anomaly Resolution Task Team
Artemis I Technical Launch Team
International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Temperature and Humidity Control (THC) System Team
International Space Station Forward Link Enhancement Team
International Space Station Russian Vehicle Coolant Leak Response Team
Remote Advanced Payload Test Rig (RAPTR) Team
Space Launch System Core Stage Rocket Propulsion Team

United Launch Alliance

Ryan D. Gutierrez

United States Space Force

Jenn R. Jones
Joshua S. Loudermilk
Sophia S. McCollum
Nick T. Milano
Jon Saul
Lauren E. Vayda
Mike T. Walsh
Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System (EWS) Team
GPS III Space Vehicle 06 Team
Space Test Program H8 Team
Strategic Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Team
VICTUS NOX Team

The citations of the nominees are printed in the annual souvenir program book which is distributed at the banquet and made available online after the event.

The winners are announced at the banquet and through a post-event press release. Visit Stellar Award winners to view photos and read citations from previous years.

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