Draper Receives NASA’s Silver Achievement Medal

CAMBRIDGE, MA – NASA honored the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) team, which includes Draper, with the NASA Silver Achievement Medal on Nov. 12 in Parsons Auditorium of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). Leadership from NASA and the APL presented the award.

Government and non-government individuals or teams are honored by NASA Center Directors for “a stellar achievement that supports one or more of NASA’s core values when it is deemed to be extraordinarily important and appropriate to recognize such achievement in a timely and personalized manner.”

The Draper team developed and delivered the radiation-hardened electronics system for one of the main science instruments on the mission. Before the mission is completed, the Parker Solar Probe will come closest to the sun and achieve the highest velocity of any human-made object.

“As with Draper’s past contributions to the U.S. space program, Draper engineers are proud to develop a key component of the Parker Solar Probe mission. This award signifies NASA’s recognition of the critical role Draper continues to have in space exploration programs and the new space economy,” said Seamus Tuohy, Draper’s principal director of space systems.