EXPLORATION

122 CHAPTER 6 Back to the Future, 1992–Today
SERVICE PINS
The meatball and the NASA seal appear on pins, medals,
and plaques awarded for service to the Agency. A career
service recognition award based on the meatball insignia
is presented to all NASA civil service employees upon
completion of 5 years of service. Certificates, emblems,
and length of service mementos are presented at 35
years of service and for each 5-year interval thereafter.
Employees with 40 years or more of federal service are
eligible to receive certificates from the Administrator.
Employees with 60 years or more of federal service are
eligible to receive a letter from the President. 24
5 Year Pin – Bronze 10 Year Pin – Silver 15 Year Pin – Gold
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL
The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the only
NASA medal with elements of the insignia or seal. It
is NASA’s highest form of recognition awarded to a
government employee who, by distinguished service,
ability, or vision, has personally contributed to NASA’s
advancement of U.S. interest. The individual’s achievement
or contribution must demonstrate a level of excellence
that has made a profound or indelible impact on
NASA mission success, and, therefore, the contribution
is so extraordinary that other forms of recognition
by NASA would be inadequate.
The first version of the medal (type I) featured
the NASA seal and was issued from 1959 to 1961
to only three employees—John W. Crowley, NASA
Director of Aeronautical and Space Research, and
astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Virgil I. “Gus”
Grissom. As previously discussed, this version of the
medal came under criticism from Time magazine
after it was awarded to Shepard. The type I medal
20 Year Pin – Red Stone 25 Year Pin – Blue Stone 30 Year Pin – Green Stone
35 Year Pin – Purple Stone 40 Year Pin – Clear Stone 45 Year Pin – Clear Stone
50 Year Pin – Clear Stone 55 Year Pin – Clear Stone 60 Year Pin – Clear Stone
FIGURE 6-25.
24 https://searchpub.nssc.nasa.gov/servlet/sm.web.Fetch/
Appnd_H_-_Awards_Department_Catalog.pdf?rhid=1000
&did=1117274&type=released (accessed 10 September 2014).
NASA Service Pins are based on the meatball insignia. (NASA Employee Recognition
and Awards Catalog 2014)