Astronaut Badge
Awarded by United States
Type	Badge
Awarded for	Completing training and traveling in a spaceflight, as defined by NASA.
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Last awarded	On going

The Astronaut Badge is a badge of the United States, awarded to military and civilian pilots who have completed training and performed a successful spaceflight. A variation of the astronaut badge is also issued to civilians who are employed with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as specialists on spaceflight missions.

[edit] Eligibility

To earn the Astronaut badge, the military officer must complete all required training and participate in a space flight more than fifty (50 mi.) miles above the Earth. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale defines space flight as more than one hundred (100 km) kilometres (62 mi.) from Earth, a definition abided by every country, except the U.S., who argue that the outer space boundary is at the fifty (50 mi.) mile (80 km) mark.

Eight USAF and NASA pilots have qualified for the Astronaut badge by flying the sub-orbital X-15 rocket spaceplane. Two pilots entered space in the sub-orbital Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne rocket spaceplane. All other men and women awarded the Astronaut badge earned it travelling to outer space in non-winged rockets or the orbital space shuttle.

[edit] 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 Army and Air Force Astronaut Badges are issued in three degrees: Basic, Senior, and Master/Command. The Senior Astronaut Badge is denoted by a star centered above the decoration, while the Master/Command level is indicated by a star and wreath.

[edit] United States Army

The Astronaut Badge issued by the U.S. Army is awarded in three levels: Basic, Senior, and Master. Astronauts, that have yet to fly a mission and have not been awarded any aviation badge previously, will be awarded the Army Aviation Badge. The Army Astronaut Badge was approved on 17 May 1983.

[edit] United States Air Force

U.S. Air Force Enlisted Mission Specialist Astronaut Badge^[1]

The U.S. Air Force issues its astronaut badge in three degrees: Basic, Senior, and Command. The Air Force Astronaut Badge consists of a standard USAF aviation badge, upon which is centered the Astronaut Device. The Air Force does not consider Astronaut to be a separate rating from its seven established aviation badges, but as a "qualifier" to them, and may only be awarded by the Air Force Chief of Staff after written application upon completion of an operational space mission. The rating of Observer is used for Mission Specialists who have completed training but not a mission. In 2007, the U.S. Air Force announced the opening of astronaut mission specialists positions to enlisted personnel who met certain eligibility requirements. No enlisted astronaut badges are yet known to have been issued^[2].

[edit] United States Navy

The Naval Astronaut insignia are issued in a single degree by the U.S. Navy and consists of a Naval Aviator insignia or Naval Flight Officer insignia with a centered astronaut emblem.

[edit] United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps astronauts are trained in the same pipeline as United States Navy astronauts, and awarded the same insignia.

[edit] United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard Astronaut Badges are also issued in the same manner as the United States Navy.

[edit] Civilian badges

NASA also has an Astronaut Badge, which is issued to civilian personnel who participate in U.S. space missions.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has granted commercial astronaut wings to private pilots who have performed a successful spaceflight.

[edit] NASA Astronaut Pins

In addition to the Astronaut Badge, which is worn on a military uniform, an Astronaut Pin is also issued to all NASA astronauts. 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 actually flown in space.

Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean took his silver pin to the moon in November 1969 and left it on the lunar surface. He said later that since he had worn the silver pin for six years and that he'd be wearing a gold pin after the mission, he wouldn't be needing his silver one any more, so "what better place to leave it than on the moon?".

A unique astronaut pin was made for NASA astronaut Deke Slayton in 1967. It was gold in color, but instead of the star, it had a small diamond in its place. It was made at the request of the crew of Apollo 1 as a tribute to Slayton's work at NASA. The idea was that everyone in the Astronaut Office had thought that Slayton would never get to fly in space (due to his heart murmur; he would later fly on board the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project as Docking Module Pilot), but as they knew that it was primarily because of him that they managed to do so, he should wear a gold pin rather than a silver one as a token of appreciation. As they knew that Slayton would refuse to wear the exact same gold pin as veteran astronauts, the diamond was substituted. It was supposed to have been flown on board the Apollo 1 spacecraft when it was launched into space, then given to Slayton after the mission was over. However, the Apollo 1 crew died in the launch pad fire in January 1967. The pin was given to Slayton by the widows of the dead crew as a token of condolence. This diamond-studded gold pin was later flown to the moon on Apollo 11 in July 1969.^[3]

[edit] See also

• Military badges of the United States
• Human spaceflight
• Edge of space
• Space tourism
• Spaceplane

[edit] References