April 9, 2001

Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 321/867-2468) 

KSC Release No. 41-01

KSC DIRECTOR ROY BRIDGES WINS DEBUS AWARD

Kennedy Space Center Director Roy Bridges was honored as the 2001 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award Recipient on April 6 in recognition of his progressive, visionary leadership and contributions to space technology and exploration.

The Florida Committee of the National Space Club presented the award during the Twelfth Annual Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award Dinner held at the KSC Visitor-Complex Debus Conference Facility.

The Debus Award was first given in 1980. Created to recognize significant achievements and contributions made in Florida to the American aerospace effort, the award is named for the KSC's first Director, Dr. Kurt H. Debus.

"I am honored to become a recipient of this award," said Bridges. "A number of space program pioneers and innovators I greatly admire have received the Debus Award over the years and I count myself fortunate to be listed among their company. Any success that I have had I attribute to the great team here at Kennedy Space Center and our partners in industry and academia."

During Bridges' tenure as Director, he has created a vision for KSC 25 years into the future; reorganized the management structure to better position KSC for spaceport technology research and development; created and strengthened strategic partnerships with the State of Florida, the 45th Space Wing, academia and industry; and introduced world-class safety practices to the Center.

A veteran NASA astronaut as well as former commander of what is now the 45th Space Wing on Florida's Space Coast, Bridges was nominated by National Space Club Florida Committee members and selected as this year's honoree by a vote of the organization's steering committee.

"Roy Bridges was an easy choice," said Ed Gormel, Executive Director of the Spaceport Florida Authority and chairman of the National Space Club Florida Committee. "I have worked professionally either for or with Roy for some 15 years and have always been impressed by his talents, initiative and vision."

Bridges is the second KSC Director to be so honored during the 12-year history of the award. Forrest McCartney was the first, earning his trophy in 1992.

"The Debus Award honors significant contributions to our nation's space program by someone living and working here in Florida, and that's exactly what Roy Bridges is doing every day as the director of the Kennedy Space Center," Gormel said.

"His commitment to making the Cape Canaveral Spaceport a world-class launch operations center for commercial, government and military users will ensure Florida's leadership in space for many years to come, and that's something the National Space Club Florida Committee is happy to recognize," Gormel said.

The National Space Club originally was organized as the National Rocket Club in October 1957 and was founded to stimulate the exchange of ideas and information about rocketry and astronautics, and to promote the recognition of America's achievements in aerospace. The National Space Club is a non-profit corporation whose membership includes representatives from industry, government, education and the general public.

-- end --

For automatic e-mail subscriptions to this daily Shuttle status report or KSC-originated press releases, send an Internet electronic mail message to domo@news.ksc.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) type the words "subscribe shuttle-status", or "subscribe ksc-press-release" (do not use quotation marks). The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription.