NASA Space Flight Medal

BACK DEVICE(s)

Description:

1. The medal was first awarded in 1981.
2. The NASA Space Flight Medal is awarded to any astronaut, American or foreign, who flies aboard a United States Space  Transportation System (STS) which performs orbital missions. 
3. Due to the requirement that crew members must have actually flown in outer space, the Space Flight Medal was not awarded to members of the Space Shuttle Challenger which exploded shortly after take-off on 28 January 1986, resulting in the loss of the entire crew.
4. The NASA Space Flight Medal is also authorized for wear on active uniforms of the United States military and is worn after all military decorations.
5. Subsequent flights are honored with an additional award. 
   Multiple awards of the decoration are annotated either by award stars or oak leaf clusters (depending on the civilian or military status of the recipient and, if military, the branch of service).  

Background:

1. The Medal
1. Obverse
   1. The obverse rim of the planchet is formed in the shape of a wreath with an unrolled scroll across the middle.
   2. In the foreground is a triangle with a space shuttle in the center.
   3. Below the triangle is the "worm" style NASA logo.
2. Reverse
   1. The reverse is stamped "Space Flight Medal"
   2. The letters shall be 1/16 inch block letters, centered on the midpoint of the wreath with the first letter "S" and the last letter "L" equidistant from the integral lug.
   3. The remainder shall be flat, plain, and suitable for engraving.
3. Ribbon
1. The ribbon and the drape are 1 3/8 wide with the colors as 3/32" Bluebird, 1/16" Scarlet, 3/8" Flag Blue, 1/16" Scarlet, 1/8" Blue Turquoise, 1/16" Scarlet, 3/8" Flag Blue, 1/16" Scarlet, 3/32" Bluebird.
2. Regarding this medal, Marine Corps Order P1020.34E 4 Jan 1988 refers to the oak leaf clusters as
   Space Oak Leaf Cluster . An oak leaf cluster will be worn on the suspension ribbon of the medal and ribbon bar of the NASA Space Flight Medal to denote subsequent awards . A silver cluster will denote each subsequent award for the second through the fourth awards .A gold oak leaf cluster will denote the fifth award .
3. Information from
   Naval History and Heritage Command
   Marine Corps Order P1020.34E 4 Jan 1988
   Decoration, Space Flight Medal, NASA MIL-DTL-3943/130G 21 October 2019
   Ribbon, Space Flight Medal, NASA MIL-DTL-11589/341E 14 February 2020