The National Space Club & Foundation announced its annual award recipients March 13, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Two dedicated leaders from NASA’s Johnson Space Center were recognized for their contributions to human spaceflight.
Orion Program Manager Howard Hu received the Norman L. Baker Astronautics Engineer Award for sustained technical contributions to multiple human spaceflight efforts.
Hu leads the design, development, production, and operations of Orion, NASA’s spacecraft for Artemis missions to the Moon. He has held several leadership roles within the Orion program, including deputy program manager, a manager of the Avionics, Power, and Software Office, and deputy manager of the Vehicle Integration Office. Hu has supported Orion since its inception, beginning as the Vehicle System Performance and Analysis lead.
On April 1, 2026, Artemis II launched on a 10-day voyage around the Moon, marking the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down safely inside Orion April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. At their farthest point, the crew and spacecraft traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a new record for the greatest distance traveled by humans in space.
The mission successfully proved the capability of Orion’s critical systems such as life support with humans aboard. Data from Artemis II will help refine mission operations and further evaluate Orion’s performance in deep space, supporting future Artemis missions.
NASA and its partners are now shifting their focus to Artemis III, which will test integrated operations between Orion and the human landing system in lunar orbit and advance plans to return astronauts to the Moon.
Before joining Orion, Hu served in multiple technical and leadership roles at Johnson, including chief engineer for exploration in the Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division, project manager and co-developer of shuttle abort flight management software for the Space Shuttle Cockpit Avionics Upgrades Program, and deputy guidance, navigation, and control system manager for the International Space Station program.
International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel received the Eagle Manned Mission Award. She leads development, integration, and operations for the International Space Station. The space station celebrated a historic milestone on Nov. 2, 2025, marking 25 years of continuous human habitation. The orbiting laboratory remains a critical testbed for future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and for deep space exploration, supporting Artemis missions and future human missions to Mars.
Weigel has held several leadership roles within the program, including deputy chief of the Flight Director Office, where she led the Extravehicular Activity Recovery Team following a major in-flight spacewalk anomaly. She also served as a NASA flight director for STS-123 and led the agency’s geosynchronous Earth orbit satellite servicing habitat study.
Selected by panels of experts across industry, government, and academia, the awards reflect achievements that advance aerospace and national interests. Honorees were recognized at the 69th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
“Dana Weigel and Howard Hu’s contributions to human space exploration, through their leadership and roles within the agency, are paramount,” said Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. “It was a privilege to be there in person to celebrate and champion them as they were recognized for the lasting impact of their work. Congratulations to Dana, Howard, and all the award recipients on this well-deserved recognition.”
Hu and Weigel’s service exemplifies the leadership and technical excellence that continue to advance U.S. human space exploration.
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