Science and Exploration

Our Favorite Artist Mike Okuda To Receive NASA Award

By Keith Cowing
May 24, 2013
Filed under

Star Trek Designer to Receive NASA Public Service Medal, Wired

“A long-time Star Trek designer is being recognized by NASA for his longtime contributions to the look of the U.S. space program. Michael Okuda will receive the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal for his work on multiple exploration missions. According to the space program, the medal recognizes “exceptional contributions to the mission of NASA.” … Over the years, Okuda did design work for Johnson Space Center, the Kennedy Space Center and the NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. He also worked with Ground Control officer Bill Foster to design designed the “Spaceflight Memorial Patch,” honoring the fallen astronauts of Apollo 1 and the lost Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews. Okuda will receive the medal at a ceremony July 9 at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.”

Keith’s note: As some of you may know, Mike has been a silent contributor to NASA Watch for years – often as the source of “vulcanized” science officers on the ISS. But he has had a much more overt role over the years as the designer of many of NASA’s iconic logos. Indeed, Scott Parazynski and I were pleased to be able to put an autogaphed version of the Spaceflight Memorial Patch that Mike and Bill Foster designed on Scott’s summit suit. In addition, another copy of that patch went to the summit of Mt. Everest on 20 May 2009. The image below shows the patch prior to packing into Scott’s “summit bling” kit.

Star Trek Designer to Receive NASA Public Service Medal, Wired

“A long-time Star Trek designer is being recognized by NASA for his longtime contributions to the look of the U.S. space program. Michael Okuda will receive the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal for his work on multiple exploration missions. According to the space program, the medal recognizes “exceptional contributions to the mission of NASA.” … Over the years, Okuda did design work for Johnson Space Center, the Kennedy Space Center and the NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. He also worked with Ground Control officer Bill Foster to design designed the “Spaceflight Memorial Patch,” honoring the fallen astronauts of Apollo 1 and the lost Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews. Okuda will receive the medal at a ceremony July 9 at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.”

Keith’s note: As some of you may know, Mike has been a silent contributor to NASA Watch for years – often as the source of “vulcanized” science officers on the ISS. But he has had a much more overt role over the years as the designer of many of NASA’s iconic logos. Indeed, Scott Parazynski and I were pleased to be able to put an autogaphed version of the Spaceflight Memorial Patch that Mike and Bill Foster designed on Scott’s summit suit. In addition, another copy of that patch went to the summit of Mt. Everest on 20 May 2009. The image below shows the patch prior to packing into Scott’s “summit bling” kit.

SpaceRef co-founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.