United States Astronaut Badge
United States Astronaut Badge (US Army: Astronaut device) | |
---|---|
Type | Badge |
Awarded for | Completing training and traveling in a spaceflight, as defined by NASA or the United States Department of Defense. |
Presented by | United States |
Status | Currently awarded |
Last awarded | Ongoing |
Army Precedence | |
Next (higher) | Army aviator badges |
Next (lower) | Flight surgeon badge[1] |
The United States Astronaut Badge is a badge of the United States, awarded to military and civilian personnel who are employed with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who have completed training for (and in some cases, performed) a spaceflight. It is the least-awarded qualification badge of the United States military.[2]
History
The first astronaut badges were created by taking the astronauts' own aviator badges and overlaying the center shield with a design called the "astronaut device", a star with three trailing rays passing through an ellipse representing orbital flight.[3]
In the 1960s, the
Military badges
Each of the military services issues its own version of the astronaut badge, which consists of a standard aviation badge with an astronaut device (shooting star through a halo) centered on the badge's shield, or escutcheon. The United States Air Force and United States Army astronaut badges are issued in three degrees: Basic, senior, and command (Air Force)/master (Army). The senior astronaut badge is denoted by a star centered above the decoration, while the command/master level is indicated by a star and wreath.
Eligibility
To earn an astronaut badge, a
U.S. Air Force astronauts
The
- Be on active duty in the U.S. Air Force
- Be a United States citizen
- Have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in either engineering, mathematics, biological science, or physical science, with 3 years experience
- Have a current Class II Flight Physical
- Be between 62 and 75 inches tall
No enlisted astronaut badges are yet known to have been issued.
U.S. Army astronauts
The gold astronaut device is issued by the
The naval astronaut insignias are issued in a single degree to
Naval Aviator Astronaut insignia
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Naval Flight Officer Astronaut insignia
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NASA badges
Civilian astronaut badge
NASA issues an astronaut badge to all civilian personnel who qualify as
The badge is embroidered in either silver or gold, at the astronaut's discretion, and feature the same astronaut device as the military versions. It is worn on flight suits and flight jackets.
Space Shuttle payload specialist badges
A unique badge was created for individuals serving as payload specialists on NASA Space Shuttle missions. Payload specialists were selected by a variety of organizations and included:
- individuals selected by the research community, a company or consortium flying a commercial payload aboard the spacecraft
- non-NASA astronauts selected by partner nations
- U.S. legislative branch representatives
The payload specialist badge featured a silhouette of the Space Shuttle in place of the astronaut device.
NASA astronaut pins
In addition to the astronaut badge, which is worn on a military uniform or NASA jumpsuit, an astronaut pin is also issued to all NASA astronauts, signifying their eligibility to take part in missions to space. These include flights to the International Space Station, and Artemis missions to the moon.[3]
It is a lapel pin worn on civilian clothing. The pin is issued in two grades, silver and gold, with the silver pin awarded to candidates who have successfully completed astronaut training and the gold pin to astronauts who have flown in space.[3] Astronaut candidates are given the silver pin but are required to purchase the gold pin at a cost of approximately $400.[16] The Mercury 7 Astronauts were the first to receive the pins.[3]
A unique astronaut pin was made for NASA astronaut
A second unique pin was made for
One silver astronaut pin currently rests on the surface of the Moon, the one that belonged to Clifton Williams, left there by astronaut Alan Bean during Apollo 12 in 1969. Williams was originally scheduled to fly to the Moon as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 12 but was killed in a plane crash before he was officially assigned to the flight. Bean was his replacement.[19]
FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings
From 2004 through 2021 the U.S.
The program was discontinued in 2021, with the rise of commercial space tourism.[20] In total, 30 people were awarded Commercial Space Astronaut Wings.[21]
FAA Commercial Astronaut Wings (2004)
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FAA Commercial Astronaut Wings (2018–2021)
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See also
- Military badges of the United States
- Badges of the United States Air Force
- Badges of the United States Army
- Badges of the United States Coast Guard
- Badges of the United States Marine Corps
- Badges of the United States Navy
- Human spaceflight
- Mission patch
- Edge of space
- Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation
References
- ^ Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards (24 June 2013). Table 8-1, U.S. Army Badges and Tabs: Orders of precedence. p. 120 Archived October 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McVeigh, Alex (February 11, 2009). "First Tomb Badge recipient laid to rest". U.S. Army.
- ^ a b c d Pearlman, Robert Z. (January 6, 2020). "'Pin'-nacle Achievement: The Story Behind NASA's Astronaut Pin". Space.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c NASA (November 29, 2007). "Astronaut". World Book at NASA. NASA. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ "SpaceX capsule docks at ISS with an all-private astronaut crew". New York Post. April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Air Force Instruction (AFI) 11-402, Paragraph 2.3.2; 13 December 2010
- ^ MILPERSMAN 1210-020, Naval Astronaut Designation
- ^ MILPERSMAN 1210-020, Naval Astronaut Designation PDF
- ^ "Astronaut applications available for May board". December 13, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ Guha, Amita. "NASA Accepting Astronaut Applications". Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ Secretary of the Army, Army Directive 2011-11, June 11, 2011 Archived May 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- The Institute of Heraldry, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Army Regulation 670–1, Uniforms and Insignia, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Archived November 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards (24 June 2013). Para. 6-12. Army Astronaut Device. p. 77 Archived October 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ U.S. Coast Guard Uniform Regulations, COMDTINST M1020.6I, page 4-22, US Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, dated May 2016, last accessed 11 March 2017
- ISBN 0-7432-9676-1.
- ^ Moon Shot by Deke Slayton
- ^ "Soyuz MS-10 | How a Russian Rocket Launch Failed In 118 Seconds". March 22, 2023. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-14-024146-4.
- ^ "FAA Ends Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program, Will Recognize Individuals Reaching Space on Website". faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. December 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "FAA Commercial Human Space Flight Recognition". faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved May 10, 2024.