John F. Kennedy Astronautics Award

The John F. Kennedy Astronautics Award was established in honor of the late President, who launched our space program in 1961 with the famous statement that “we should land men on the moon and return them safely in this decade.

This public service award is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution by promoting the Nation’s space programs for the exploration and utilization of outer space.

The John F. Kennedy Astronautics Award was merged with the Olin E. Teague Space Award, which was established by the Society in 1981.

1974 – Hon. Frank E. Moss
1975 – Hon. Olin E. Teague
1976 – Robert Anderson
1977 – Hon. Michael Collins
1978 – Hugh Downs
1979 – Hon. Don Fuqua
1980 – Robert A. Frosch
1981 – Richard Henry
1982 – Carl Sagan
1983 – James M. Beggs
1984 – No Award Given
1985 – No Award Given
1986 – Hon. Jake Garn
1987 – Thomas O. Paine
1988 – Jack Anderson
1989 – James C. Fletcher
1990 – Richard H. Truly
1991 – James R. Thompson, Jr.
1992 – Thomas P. Stafford
1993 – Daniel S. Goldin
1994 – Hon. Jack Brooks
1995 – Senator Barbara Mikulski
1996 – Christopher C. Kraft, Jr.
1997 – George E. Brown, Jr.
1998 – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
1999 – Eilene M. Galloway
2000 – Simon Ramo
2001 – Sally K. Ride
2002 – William H. Pickering
2003 – Buzz Aldrin
2004 – Lori B. Garver
2005 – John M. Logsdon
2006 – Marcia Smith
2007 – Walter Cronkite
2008 – William E. Burrows
2009 – Roger D. Launius