July 14, 2004 — In recognition of the sacrifices and dedication of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo crew members, each astronaut will be presented a moon rock-embedded award as part of a special ceremony honoring the 35th anniversary of Apollo 11 at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (July 13).
The moon rocks being awarded will be samples returned by one of the six Apollo moon landing missions. Each will be encased in acrylic and attached to a base with an inscribed plaque.
The lunar samples will remain the property of NASA, but the astronauts and their surviving families, in coordination with NASA, will select a museum or other educational institution where their awards will be publicly displayed in their name to help inspire a new generation of explorers.
The award celebrates the "realization of a vision" for exploration first articulated by President John F. Kennedy in May 1961, when NASA's fledgling human space flight program had little more than 15 minutes of space flight experience. In addition to the moon rocks, each of the 34 astronauts (nine now deceased) will be named by NASA as "Ambassadors of Exploration."
Among the honorees, in addition to the astronauts, will also be veteran journalist Walter Cronkite. Millions experienced the early years of space exploration through Cronkite's news reports. During the Apollo 11 mission, Cronkite was on the air for 27 of the 30 hours it took for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to complete their work on the lunar surface.
As Ambassadors of Exploration, the recipients will help NASA communicate the benefits and excitement of space exploration and "why the continuing investment in our future is vital to the security and vitality of America."
Ambassadors of Exploration Photo Gallery
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Gene CernanMay 12, 2005 Pensacola, Florida |
Thomas StaffordJuly 12, 2005 Weatherford, Oklahoma |
John YoungJuly 20, 2005 Houston, Texas |
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Walt CunninghamOctober 7, 2005 Dallas, Texas |
Wally SchirraNovember 16, 2005 San Diego, California |
Richard GordonNovember 19, 2005 Seattle, Washington |
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Vance BrandJanuary 21, 2006 Longmont, Colorado |
Ed MitchellFebruary 5, 2006 West Palm Beach, Florida |
Stuart RoosaFebruary 9, 2006 Titusville, Florida |
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Michael CollinsFebruary 9, 2006 Garden City, New York |
John GlennFebruary 20, 2006 Columbus, Ohio |
Deke SlaytonFebruary 22, 2006 Sparta, Wisconsin |
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Walter CronkiteFebruary 28, 2006 Austin, Texas |
Buzz AldrinMarch 25, 2006 Los Angeles, California |
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Charlie DukeMay 8, 2006 St. Petersburg, Florida |
Frank BormanMay 8, 2006 Tucson, Arizona |
Christopher KraftSeptember 30, 2006 Blacksburg, Virginia |
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James McDivittOctober 6, 2006 Ann Arbor, Michigan |
Virgil "Gus" GrissomSeptember 28, 2007 Orlando, Florida |
Roger ChaffeeOctober 6, 2007 West Lafayette, Indiana |
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Donn EiseleOctober 23, 2007 Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
Jack SwigertMay 23, 2008 Denver, Colorado |
Thomas MattinglyMarch 26, 2009 Auburn, Alabama |
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James LovellApril 3, 2009 Lexington Park, Maryland |
John F. KennedyJuly 20, 2009 Washington, DC |
Al WordenJuly 30, 2009 Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
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Fred HaiseDecember 2, 2009 Biloxi, Mississippi |
Alan ShepardApril 28, 2011 Annapolis, Maryland |
Edward WhiteJune 3, 2015 West Point, New York |
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NASA's Ambassador of Exploration awardees will be presented a moon rock to be displayed at a museum or educational institution of their choosing. (NASA)
Quick Look
Where NASA's Ambassador of Exploration awards are on display
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U.S. Naval Academy MuseumAnnapolis, MD (4.28.11) |
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The Space Museum and Grissom CenterBonne Terre, MO (4.2.2022)
Previously: Disney World Resort: Epcot Orlando, FL (9.28.07) |
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John Glenn Institute of Public Service and Public PolicyColumbus, OH (2.20.06) |
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Denver Museum of Nature and Science Denver, CO (11.10.07) |
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San Diego Aerospace MuseumSan Diego, CA (11.16.05) |
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Museum of Natural ScienceHouston, TX (7.20.05) |
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University of Michigan College of EngineeringAnn Arbor, MI (10.06.06) |
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West Point Museum, United States Military AcademyWest Point, NY (6.03.15) |
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The Museum of FlightSeattle, WA (11.18.06) |
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Pima Air and Space MuseumTucson, AZ (5.08.06) |
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Patuxent River Naval Air MuseumLexington Park, MD (4.03.09) |
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Stafford Air and Space MuseumWeatherford, OK (7.12.05) |
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Cincinnati Museum CenterCincinnati, OH (4.18.06) |
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Science MuseumLondon, England (TBA) |
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National Museum of Naval AviationPensacola, FL (5.12.05) |
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Cradle of Aviation MuseumGarden City, NY (2.09.06) |
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The Museum of FlightSeattle, WA (11.19.05) |
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California Science CenterLos Angeles, CA (3.25.06) |
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Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN (10.06.07) |
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Broward Public LibraryFt. Lauderdale, FL (10.23.07) |
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Frontiers of Flight MuseumDallas, TX (10.7.05) |
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Gorenflo Elementary SchoolBiloxi, MS (12.02.09) |
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Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space MuseumDenver, CO (5.23.08) |
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U.S. Astronaut Hall of FameTitusville, FL (2.09.06) |
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South Florida Science MuseumWest Palm Beach, FL (2.05.06) |
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The Bishop Museum of Science and NatureBradenton, FL (8.04.21) |
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Apollo/Saturn V CenterKennedy Space Center, FL (7.30.09) |
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Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL (3.26.09) |
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Admiral Farragut AcademySt. Petersburg, FL (5.08.06) |
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Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bike MuseumSparta, WI (2.22.06) |
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Museum & Cultural CenterLongmont, CO (1.21.06) |
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Center for American HistoryAustin, TX (2.28.06) |
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Virginia Tech University College of EngineeringBlacksburg, VA (9.30.06) |
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Central Catholic High SchoolToledo, OH (12.6.07) |
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Fondren Library, Rice UniversityHouston, TX (7.20.09) |
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