US FAA to stop awarding astronaut wings to travellers

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it was ending a program that awarded small gold pins called “Commercial Space Astronaut Wings” to certain people who flew to space on private spacecraft.

But before the program officially retires in January, all who applied for the gold wings after flying to space this year will still receive them, the agency said. That means Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon who rode a rocket with his space company, Blue Origin, to the edge of space in July, will be considered a commercial astronaut.

So will Richard Branson, the founder of the space tourism firm Virgin Galactic who flew his own company’s rocket plane to space in the same month. William Shatner, the Star Trek star who flew with Blue Origin to the edge of space in October, will also receive astronaut wings to go with his Starfleet paraphernalia. Twelve other people were also added to the agency’s list of wing recipients Friday.

The changes will help the FAA avoid the potentially awkward position of proclaiming that some space tourists are only passengers, not astronauts.

The Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program began handing out pins to qualified individuals in 2004, when Mike Melvill, a test pilot, became its first recipient.

To qualify for the commercial astronaut wings under the original guidelines, a person had to reach an altitude of at least 50 miles and be a member of the spacecraft’s “flight crew.” The FAA narrowed its criteria in July, a day after Bezos launched to space.

But the FAA settled any uncertainty Friday by tossing out its criteria from July and awarding the wings to everyone who flew to space on private spacecraft this year.

SpaceX’s first four private passengers, who spent three days in orbit aboard its Crew Dragon spacecraft in September, were also named as wing recipients.

Any private spaceflight passenger who flies to space before the year’s end will also be eligible. That will include Saturday’s scheduled flight of six passengers by Blue Origin, including Michael Strahan, the TV host and former football star.

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