National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NACA/NASA Research and Development Projects Receiving the
Robert J. Collier Trophy
For more detailed information about NACA and NASA Collier Trophy winners,
please see From Engineering
Science to Big Science, a NASA History Division publication edited by Pamela
E. Mack.
Robert J. Collier Trophy
- Established 1911.
- Awarded by the National Aeronautic Association.
- Given annually for great achievement in aeronautics and astronautics
in America.
- Oriented toward recognizing advances in the performance, efficiency,
or safety of air or space vehicles.
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Award Winners
- 1929: NACA for the development of low-drag cowling for radial
air-cooled aircraft engines.
- 1946: Lewis A. Rodert of Ames Aeronautical Laboratory for
the development of an efficient wing deicing system.
- 1947: John Stack of Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory
for research to determine the physical laws affecting supersonic
flight. Lawrence D. Bell and Chuck Yeager also shared in this
trophy for their work on supersonic flight.
- 1951: John Stack and associates at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical
Laboratory for the development and use of the slotted-throat wind
tunnel.
- 1954: Richard Travis Whitcomb of Langley Memorial Aeronautical
Laboratory for the development of the Whitcomb area rule, according
to the citation, a "powerful, simple, and useful method of
reducing greatly the sharp increase in wing drag heretofore associated
with transonic flight, and which constituted a major factor requiring
great reserves of power to attain supersonic speeds."
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Award
Winners
- 1961: Joseph A. Walker of NASA's Flight Research Center (along
with Robert M. White, A. Scott Crossfield, and Forrest Peterson)
for the scientific advances resulting from the X-15 test program.
- 1962: NASA's original seven astronauts for the Project Mercury
flights.
- 1965: NASA Administrator James E. Webb and Deputy Administrator
Hugh L. Dryden for effective management of a large-scale research
institution.
- 1968: NASA Astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, and William
A. Anders of NASA for the Apollo 8 lunar orbital mission.
- 1969: NASA Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin,
Jr., and Michael Collins for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.
- 1971: David R. Scott, James B. Irwin, Alfred M. Worden, and
Robert T. Gilruth of NASA for the Apollo 15 lunar mission as the
most prolonged and scientifically productive mission of Project
Apollo.
- 1973: NASA's Skylab program, with special recognition to William
C. Schneider, program director, and the Skylab astronauts, for
the production of scientific data about longterm space flight.
- 1974: John F. Clark of NASA and Daniel J. Fink of General
Electric, representing the NASA/industry team for the development
of LANDSAT, proving the value of U.S. space technology in the
management of the earth's resources and environment.
- 1980: Edward C. Stone and NASA's Voyager mission team for
the spectacular flyby of Saturn and the return of basic knowledge
about the solar system.
- 1981: NASA and the industry team that developed the Space
Shuttle and proved the concept of reusable spacecraft, with special
recognition to astronauts John W. Young, Robert L. Crippen, Joe
H. Engle, and Richard H. Truly.
- 1984: NASA and Martin Marietta for the development of the
manned maneuvering unit, and the NASA team that rescued three
disabled satellites, with special recognition to astronaut Bruce
McCandless II, NASA's Charles E. Whitsett, Jr., and Martin Marietta's
Walter W. Bollendonk.
- 1987: NASA's Lewis Research Center and the NASA/industry advanced
turboprop team for the development of a new fuel-efficient turboprop
propulsion system.
- 1988: NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly for success in returning
America to manned space flight.
- 1993: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Recovery Team for repair
of the telescope in December 1993. The citation honored the team
"for outstanding leadership, intrepidity, and the renewal
of public faith in America's space program by the successful orbital
recovery and repair of the Hubble Space Telescope."
For further information, please email histinfo@hq.nasa.gov
Last Updated: February 8, 2005