The National Space Club & Foundation honored two leaders from NASA’s Johnson Space Center for their significant contributions to human spaceflight during the organization’s annual awards ceremony on March 13, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Howard Hu, Orion Program Manager, was awarded the Norman L. Baker Astronautics Engineer Award for his technical leadership in the development and operation of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Hu has been involved with the Orion program since its inception, holding key roles including deputy program manager and manager of the Avionics, Power, and Software Office. Under his leadership, Orion successfully completed its first crewed mission, Artemis II, which launched on April 1, 2026. The mission included NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who orbited the Moon over a 10-day flight. They traveled a record 252,756 miles from Earth, validating Orion’s life support and critical systems for human deep space exploration.
Following Artemis II, NASA is focusing on Artemis III, which aims to test integrated operations of Orion with the human landing system in lunar orbit and advance the goal of returning astronauts to the Moon.
Dana Weigel, International Space Station (ISS) Program Manager, received the Eagle Manned Mission Award. She leads the development, integration, and operations of the ISS, which marked 25 years of continuous human habitation on November 2, 2025. The space station remains a vital platform for research that supports Artemis missions and preparations for human exploration of Mars. Throughout her career at Johnson Space Center, Weigel has held multiple leadership positions, including deputy chief of the Flight Director Office and NASA flight director for STS-123.
The awards, selected by panels from industry, government, and academia, were presented at the 69th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton. Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche praised the honorees for their lasting impact on U.S. human space exploration efforts.
Why it matters
The recognition of Howard Hu and Dana Weigel highlights the critical leadership and technical expertise driving NASA’s human space exploration goals. Successful demonstration of Orion’s capabilities on Artemis II marks a milestone in returning humans to deep space, while continued ISS operations provide essential research for sustainable lunar and Martian missions.
Background
The Orion spacecraft is central to NASA’s Artemis program, designed to send humans to the Moon and beyond. Artemis II was the first crewed test flight of Orion, paving the way for future lunar landings. The ISS has served as a microgravity laboratory for over two decades, facilitating scientific discoveries and technology development crucial for long-duration space exploration.
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Sources
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