Presidential Medals of Freedom Awarded to Astronomer and Astronaut

President Joe Biden awarded Presidential Medals of Freedom to astronomer Jane Rigby and engineer-turned-astronaut Ellen Ochoa last week.

In his remarks, Biden noted Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space and credited her with “ushering a whole new age of space exploration and proving what it means for every generation to dream, to reach for the stars, and to get there.”

Biden highlighted how Rigby, as chief scientist of the James Webb Space Telescope, has helped tell “the grand story of the universe” and also said she is a “long-time advocate of inclusivity in the sciences.” Rigby is the first physical scientist to receive the Medal of Freedom since physicist and science advisor Richard Garwin was awarded one in 2016.

Civil rights activists, politicians, journalists, and athletes were among the 17 other medal recipients last week. Al Gore and John Kerry were recognized in part for their efforts to address climate change.

This news brief originally appeared in FYI’s newsletter for the week of May 6.