Tag Archives: Presidential Medal of Freedom

James Webb Space Telescope chief scientist Jane Rigby receives the United States’ highest civilian award

When I sat with Jane Rigby in the upstairs conference room of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis last month — a quiet respite from the crowds of families perusing the cosmic exhibits and dinosaur bones below — her eyes were warm and measured. He also wore a menagerie of gravitationally lensed galaxies. His t-shirt was… Read More »

NASA astronaut and director Ellen Ochoa is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

The first Spanish woman in space has now become the second female astronaut to be awarded the United States’ highest honor. Ellen Ochoa, who later directed NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony held at the White House on Friday, May 3. Ochoa became the 10th… Read More »