NASA Recognizes Expedition 67 Astronauts, Team at Space Center Houston
Four International Space Station crewmates were reunited on stage at Space Center Houston Wednesday, Nov. 30, to receive honors for their missions and share their appreciation for the support they received before, during, and after their flights.
NASA Johnson Space Center employees, families, and neighbors gathered for the after-hours Expedition 67 crew presentation at Johnson’s official visitor center, which featured NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and Jessica Watkins, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
Each astronaut received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the NASA Space Exploration Medal in a ceremony formally recognizing the crew, flight directors, and key contributors to their mission’s success. Since returning from a long-duration mission aboard the orbiting laboratory, the crewmates have returned to their hometowns, shared their mission with the public, and contributed to further scientific investigations and post-mission research.
Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche, Director of Flight Operations Norman Knight, International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano, and Steve Stich, program manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, each thanked the team and their families for their service.
The leadership team presented the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal to Pooja Jesrani, Expedition 67 lead flight director; the NASA Exceptional Service Medal to Adi Boulos, Crew-4 lead flight director; and the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal to Scott Ede, Crew-4 mission manager. The crew joined senior staff in recognizing 26 teams and 19 individuals with JSC Group Achievement Awards, Mission Manager Agency Awards, and Superior Achievement Awards. A full list of honorees and descriptions of the medal distinctions can be found at the end of this article.
The crew shared their gratitude to the teams that made the mission possible. “We could not do this without the investment of all these amazing people,” said Lindgren. “For all of us, that truly is our favorite part of this endeavor — the amazing people we get to work with.”
The crew shared and narrated a video highlighting their six-month mission, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with the live audience hosted by Space Center Houston President and CEO William Harris.
The international crew launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 flight, the fourth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station. Lindgren and Cristoforetti made their second spaceflights, now with 311 and 369 days in space respectively. Cristoforetti holds the record for the longest uninterrupted spaceflight by a European astronaut; she is second on the all-time list for most days in space by a woman.
This was the first spaceflight for Watkins and Hines. Watkins made history by becoming the first black woman to serve on a long-duration space station mission.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission launched in April 2022 to the space station, where the crew joined Expedition 67. Splashing down off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, Hines, Lindgren, Watkins, and Cristoforetti spent 170 days aboard the space station, traveled 72,168,935 miles, and completed 2,720 Earth orbits.
The crew continued important scientific investigations and helped maintain the orbiting laboratory while onboard. Among the variety of research performed during the mission, the astronauts also investigated microgravity-induced changes in the human immune system similar to aging, tested a novel water-reclamation membrane, and examined a concrete alternative made with a material found in lunar and Martian dust.
Stay current on space station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the station Facebook and Instagram accounts and the space station blog.
Award Recipients:
Expedition 67 NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, (pictured from left to right, kneeling, center) are surrounded by spaceflight mission award recipients, flight directors, and leadership at Space Center. The international crew shared highlights from their recent 170-day International Space Station expedition with the public and helped recognize key contributors to their mission success in an award ceremony immediately following the free, public event. Credits: NASA/James Blair
