{"id":236672,"date":"2025-06-17T07:47:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T21:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=877889"},"modified":"2025-06-17T07:47:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T21:47:00","slug":"nasa-employees-named-2025-service-to-america-medals-honorees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=236672","title":{"rendered":"NASA Employees Named 2025 Service to America Medals Honorees"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NASA\u2019s Worm logo is displayed in front of the agency\u2019s headquarters in Washington.<\/div>\n
Credit: NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Two NASA employees are being  honored as part of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, also known as the Sammies, recognizing outstanding federal employees who are addressing many of our country\u2019s greatest challenges.<\/p>\n

Rich Burns of NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and John Blevins of Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, were selected out of 350 nominees and are among 23 individuals and teams honored for their achievements as federal employees. They will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, June 17, that also will be live streamed on the Sammies website<\/a>. The honorees will be commended via videos and presenter remarks and receive medals for their achievements.<\/p>\n

Named after the founder of the Partnership for Public Service, the 2025 Service to America Medals awards celebrate federal employees who provided critical public services and made outstanding contributions to the health, safety, and national security of our country.<\/p>\n

\u201cRich and John exemplify the spirit of exploration and service that defines NASA and our nation\u2019s civil servants,\u201d said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. \u201cTheir leadership, ingenuity, and dedication have not only advanced America\u2019s space program but also inspired the next generation of innovators. We are proud to see their achievements recognized among the very best of federal service.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Richard Burns, project manager for the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security \u2013 Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and honoree of the 2025 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals<\/div>\n
Credit: NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Burns was the project manager of the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security \u2013 Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission to collect a sample from an asteroid and oversaw operations from the developmental stage to the successful landing of the spacecraft\u2019s Sample Return Capsule.<\/p>\n

The mission launched on Sept. 18, 2016, and after a nearly four-year journey, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully collected a sample from the asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20, 2020, which returned to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, providing scientists with 120 grams of pristine material to study, the largest amount ever collected from an asteroid. Working to solidify OSIRIS-REx as a success, Burns set up multiple partnerships and communicated frequently with scientists, large and small businesses, NASA centers, and others to ensure the mission\u2019s vision was carried out though each phase.<\/p>\n

During the mission, Burns had to handle unique challenges that required adapting to new situations. These included improving flight software to help the spacecraft avoid hazardous parts of Bennu\u2019s rocky surface and working with NASA leaders to find a way to best protect the sample collected from Bennu after a large stone propped the collection canister open. Finally, when the sample was set to return to Earth, Burns worked extensively with NASA and military partners to prepare for the landing, focusing on the safety of the public along with the integrity of the sample to ensure the final part of the mission was a success.<\/p>\n

Burns helped OSIRIS-REx exceed its objectives all while under the original budget, allowing  NASA to share a portion of the sample with more than 80 research projects and make new discoveries about the possible origins of life on our planet. The spacecraft, now known as Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security \u2013 Apophis Explorer, is scheduled to rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis in 2029.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s humbling to accept an award based on the achievements of the amazingly talented, dedicated, and innovative OSIRIS-REx team,\u201d Burns said. \u201cI consider myself privileged to be counted among a team of true explorers who let no obstacle stand in the way of discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"John<\/a><\/figure>
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John Blevins, chief engineer for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, stands inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the stacking of the Artemis I rocket ahead of its first test flight, which successfully launched from Kennedy on Nov. 16, 2022.<\/div>\n
Credit: NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Blevins is the chief engineer for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and is responsible for the various technical decisions that need to be made to ensure each mission is successful. This included calculating structural needs, thermal analyses of the effects, and studies of vibrations, acoustics, propulsion integration, among other work.<\/p>\n

Artemis I, the first test flight of the SLS rocket, successfully launched from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. In the time leading up to and during launch, Blevins led the team integrating the hardware for the mission working  to address unexpected events while SLS was on the pad prior to launch. This included significant lightning storms and two hurricanes impacting Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n

Blevins built a working coalition of engineering teams across the agency that previously did not exist. His ability to forge strong relationships on the various teams across the agency allowed for the successful launch of Artemis I. He continues to lead the engineering team behind SLS as they prepare for Artemis II, the second flight of SLS and the first crewed lunar mission of the 21st century.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a reflection on the hard work and dedication of the entire Artemis Team,\u201d Blevins said. \u201cI am working with an incredibly competent, dedicated team agencywide that goes above and beyond to promote the space exploration goals of our nation. I am honored to accept the award on their behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n

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