President Obama And NASA Administrator Bolden Recognize Employees For Roles In Chilean Miner Rescue

Oct. 28, 2010

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
michael.curie@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 10-284

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND NASA ADMINISTRATOR BOLDEN RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES FOR ROLES IN CHILEAN MINER RESCUE

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama welcomed NASA Administrator
Charles Bolden and a NASA team that assisted trapped Chilean miners
to the Oval Office on Thursday for a ceremony that recognized
Americans involved in the rescue.

After the White House event, Bolden and Deputy Administrator Lori
Garver presented NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal to five agency
employees who supported the rescue effort. The NASA Exceptional
Achievement Medal is awarded for a significant, specific
accomplishment or substantial improvement in operations, efficiency,
service, financial savings, science, or technology that contributes
to NASA's mission.

"We're greatly honored by the president's recognition of these
extraordinary NASA employees who assisted the Chilean miners," Bolden
said. "I'm sure they would be the first to tell you they were just
doing their jobs and nothing out of the ordinary, but the men and
women of NASA do extraordinary things each and every day."

The medal recipients are:
- Dr. Michael Duncan, deputy chief medical officer at NASA's Johnson
Space Center in Houston and team leader
- Dr. Albert Holland, operational psychologist at Johnson
- Dr. James Polk, medical officer at Johnson
- Clint Cragg, principal engineer for the NASA Engineering and Safety
Center at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.
- Albert Condes, deputy associate administrator of the Office of
International and Interagency Affairs at NASA Headquarters in
Washington

The employees from Johnson and Langley traveled to Chile Aug. 30 -
Sept. 5 and visited the mine after discussions between the Chilean
government and Condes. The team consulted with a number of
organizations in Chile, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Mining, the Chilean Navy and the Chilean Space Agency.

NASA provided technical advice to the Chilean government based on the
agency's long experience in protecting humans in the hostile
environment of space. NASA's initial support included recommendations
on medical care, nutrition and psychological support. The request for
later NASA support was broadened to include recommendations on the
design of a Chilean vehicle used to extract the miners. Consultations
continued between members of the NASA team and Chilean government
officials until the miners were rescued.

For information about NASA's support to the Chilean miner rescue
effort, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/news/chile_assistance.html

-end-

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov