Shepherd Awarded Medal at White House

President Bush awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to U.S. Navy Capt. William M. Shepherd, the first astronaut to command a crew aboard the International Space Station. Shepherd accepted the honor during a White House ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

He was cited for “extremely thorough preparation, unmatched operational expertise, and ingenuity in the face of numerous unforeseen challenges” as the Expedition One commander. The Expedition One crew spent 141 days, from Oct. 31, 2000 to March 21, 2001, aboard the Space Station.