NASA's Exceptional Public Service Medal is a United States government award awarded to any non-Government individual or to an individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed for sustained performance that embodies multiple contributions on NASA projects, programs, or initiatives.

The criteria must include all of the following: The singer John Denver[5] • Robert F. Hieter, Vice President of Production Operations at Martin Marietta Manned Space Systems, overseeing the assembly of the Space Shuttle external fuel tanks.

1982 •Karl Kachigan, Director of SLV-3D ATlas, Atlas/Centaur and Titan/Centaur Launch Vehicle Systems General Dynamics, For Exceptional Contributions to the NASA expendable launch vehicle programs through planning, Management, design, mission adaption and development