NSS Space Pioneer Awards
Generally, three or more Space Pioneer awards are given per year, so not every category is awarded each year. The 13 Space Pioneer Award categories 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
The Space Pioneer awards consist of a cast globe of the Moon.
Space Pioneer Award Winners:
2022
- Peter Beck, Rocket Lab [Science and Technology]
- Kathryn Lueders [Non-Legistlative Government Service]
- Ingenuity Mars Helocopter Team [Science and Technology]
2021
- Dr. Robert Braun [Science and Engineering]
- Robert Manning [Science and Engineering]
2020
- Steve Jurvetson [Space Entrepreneurship]
- Dr. Peggy Whitson [Current Space Achievements]
- Mission Juno Team, Dr. Scott Bolton [Science and Engineering]
- Dr. Phil Plait [Mass Media]
- Isaac Arthur [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
- Dr. Frank Drake [Science and Engineering]
- Sean Hargreaves [Art]
- Thomas Mueller [Science and Engineering]
- NASA-JPL and ESA Cassini and Huygens teams [Science and Engineering]
- NASA-JPL Voyager Spacecraft tea [Science and Engineering]
- Dr. Kathryn Sullivan [Non-Legislative Government Service]
2017
- Eric Berger [Mass Media]
- George Dietrich [Special Merit]
- William H. Gerstenmaier [Non-Legislative Government Service]
- Kepler-K2 Team [Science and Engineering]
- MAC’s Old Team [Special Merit]
- Thomas P. Stafford [Historic Space Achievement}
2016
- SpaceX [Science and Engineering]
- Orlando Figueroa [Non-Legislative Government Service]
- Dr. Ellen Ochoa [Non-Legislative Government Service]
- Blue Origin [Science and Engineering]
- Jeff Greason [Entrepreneurial Business]
- New Horizons Team [Science and Engineering]
2015
- Anousheh Ansari [Service to the Space Community]
- ISRO Mars Orbiter Programme Team [Science and Engineering]
- Rosetta Team [Science and Engineering]
- Kip Thorne [Mass Media]
- Jay Barbree [Mass Media]
- Lori Garver [Non-Legislative Government Service]
2014
- Gwynne E. Shotwell [Business: Entrepreneur]
- Dr. John S. Lewis [Science and Engineering]
- Orbital Sciences: Antares & Cygnus Team [Science and Engineering]
- Mercury Messenger Team [Science and Engineering]
2013
- U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher [Government (Legislative) Service]
- Dr. Mae Jemison [Service to the Space Community]
- Boeing Company and the Air Force [Science and Engineering]
- Mars Science Laboratory Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) Team [Science and Engineering]
- Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Team [Science and Engineering]
2012
- John Glenn [Historic Space Achievement]
- Scott Carpenter [Historic Space Achievement]
- Stephen Colbert [Mass Media]
- Ben Bova [Mass Media]
- Art Dula [Business: Entrepreneur]
- Dr. Robert Farquhar [Science and Engineering]
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter team [Science and Engineering]
- Frederick Ordway [Lifetime of Service to the Space Community]
2011
- Elon Musk [Business Entrepreneur]
- Robert Bigelow [Space Development]
- X-51A Waverider Team [Science and Engineering]
- Paul Spudis [Scientific or Engineering Paper]
- Gordon R. Woodcock [Lifetime of Service to the Space Community]
- George T. Whitesides [Service to the Space Community]
2010
- Ray D. Bradbury [Mass Media]
- George T. Whitesides [Service to the Space Community]
- NASA-Ames LCROSS Mission Team [Science and Engineering]
2009
- Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) [Science and Engineering]
- John C. Mankins [Space Development]
- Brian G. Marsden [Service to the Space Community]
- 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]
- Anita E. Gale [Education]
- Al Globus [Education]
- Patricia Grace Smith [Government Service (Non-legislative)]
2007
- Kenneth Cox [Space Development]
- Heinz Hermann Koelle [Special Merit]
2006
- Elon Musk [Business/Entrepreneur]
- JAXA HAYABUSA (MUSES-C) Mission Team [Scientist/Engineer]
- Michael Griffin [Space Development]
2005
- Paul Allen [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Mars Exploration Rover Team, accepted by Dr. Steven Squyres [Scientist/Engineer]
- Dr. Boris Smeds, ESA, for Cassini/Huygens mission [Scientist/Engineer]
2004
- Rep. Sherwood Boehlert [Government Service (Legislative)]
- Gary Pearce Barnhard [Special Merit – Space Activist of the Year]
- Randall Severy [Special Merit – Space Activist of the Year]
2003
- Crew of STS-107
2001
- Leonard David [Mass Media]
- Dr. Robert Farquhar, Mission Director, and the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission Team [Scientist/Engineer]
2000
- Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison [Government Service (Legislative)]
- Float’n Illini Team (U. of Illinois Chapter) [Education/Public Outreach]
1999
- Tom Hanks [Mass Media]
- John Glenn [Wide Media]
1998
- George French for MoonLink [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Alan Binder [Scientist/Engineer]
1997
- Greg Allison [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Rep. James Sensenbrenner, for Commercial Space Act of 1997 [Government Service (Legislative)]
- Mars meteorite team [Scientist/Engineer]
- Lori Garver [Special Merit]
1996
- Charlie Chafer [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Jeff Kluger [Mass Media]
- Peter Diamandis [Special Merit]
1995
- Glenn Heinmiller [Mass Media]
- General Daniel Graham [Special Merit]
- Dr. Mark Albrecht [Special Merit]
1994
- Dr. Stewart Nozette [Scientist/Engineer]
- Tim Kyger [Special Merit]
1993
- McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Delta Clipper Team [Business/Corporate]
- Dr. Daniel Goldin [Special Merit]
1992
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation Commercial and Civil Space Division [Business/Corporate]
- Barbara Morgan [Education]
- Sen. Barbara Mikulski [Government Service (Legislative)]
1991
- Women in Aerospace [Public Awareness]
- K. Eric Drexler [Space Development]
1990
- Orbital Sciences Corporation [Business/Corporate]
- Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Rep. Ron Packard [Government Service (Legislative)]
- Lyman Spitzer, Jr. [Scientist/Engineer]
1989
- 3M Corporation [Business/Corporate]
- James Bennett [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Pat Rawlings [Compelling Art]
- The Challenger Center [Education]
- Sen. Jake Garn [Government Service (Legislative)]
- Wendell Mendell [Scientist/Engineer]
1988
- Gilbert W. Keyes, Boeing [Business/Corporate]
- Byron Lichtenberg [Business/Entrepreneur]
- Dermot Burke and the Princeton Ballet for “A Tribute” [Compelling Art]
- Kamil Naguib, World Aerospace Education Foundation [Education]
- Rep. George Brown, Jr. [Government Service (Legislative)]
- Doug Morrow, Richard MacLeod, U.S. Space Foundation [Mass Media]
- Thomas Rogers [Scientist/Engineer]
- Craig Covault [Wide Media]