NSS congratulates Astronaut/Lt. Gen. Thomas Patten Stafford (USAF, Retired), who will be awarded the National Aeronautic Association’s prestigious 2011 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy on December 16, 2011. This trophy honors the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright, and is awarded annually to a living American for “significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States.” Stafford flew four missions (two Gemini missions, Apollo 10, and Apollo-Soyuz) and headed the 1991 Presidential “Stafford” Commission which produced the report “America at the Threshold” exploring alternative architectures for the Space Exploration Initiative. More information on this NAA award.