The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program and for research in aeronautics and space exploration. Like most U.S. government agencies, it is authorized to create awards and decorations for its employees, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who have shown exceptional service to accomplishing the agency's goals.
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency that was founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets and personnel were transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NACA created two awards in 1954 to recognize the distinguished/exceptional service of NACA employees. The medals are similar with the seal of NACA as the medal device and were approved by President Eisenhower in 1953. Only seven medals were awarded between 1954 and 1958 when NACA was transferred into NASA. [1]
| Congressional Space Medal of Honor [2] | NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Type I (1958-1964) [3] | NASA Distinguished Service Medal [4] | NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal [4] | NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal [4] | NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal [4] |
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| NASAExceptional Service Medal, Type I [5] | NASA Exceptional Service Medal [4] | NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal [4] | NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal [4] | NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal [4] | NASA Exceptional Administrative Achievement Medal [4] |
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| NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal [4] | NASA Exceptional Bravery Medal [4] | NASA Public Service Medal [4] | NASA Space Flight Medal [6] | NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal [7] | NASA Early Career Achievement Medal [8] |
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| NASA Silver Achievement Medal [9] | NASA SpaceExploration Medal [10] | NACA Distinguished Service Medal(obsolete) [1] | NACA Exceptional Service Medal(obsolete) [11] | ||
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