NASA honored two Stennis Space Center employees, Melissa Wagner and Samone Wilson, for their major contributions to human spaceflight.
Both received the prestigious Honoree Award from NASA’s Space Flight Awareness program on March 10 in Orlando, Fla. The program highlights excellence in quality and safety in support of human spaceflight. The Honoree Award is among the highest distinctions given to employees for exceptional performance and dedication.
Presenting the awards were NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Space Operations Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Kenneth Bowersox, and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Acting Associate Administrator Dr. Lori Glaze. Bresnik has been an astronaut since 2004 and has played a vital role in the Artemis mission development and previously served as commander of the International Space Station during Expedition 53.
Wagner, a Pass Christian native, works as a NASA contract specialist in the Office of Procurement at Stennis and was recognized for her work in supporting the Artemis campaign. Her efforts in identifying potential risks related to propulsion test operations led to successful mitigation actions, guaranteeing the mission’s safety and efficiency.
Wilson, a NASA public affairs specialist from Hattiesburg, was honored for promoting NASA’s mission and increasing public awareness of the Stennis Space Center activities. She helped share NASA’s advancements and human spaceflight endeavors with broader audiences.
As part of their recognition, both Wagner and Wilson toured NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where they had the opportunity to see the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft – a fleet of 14 partially reusable cargo spacecraft – ahead of the NASA SpaceX crew-10 launch.
