Civilian astronaut wings officially recognize non-military folks who complete spaceflight missions. These badges stand apart from military versions in design, who can get them, and who hands them out.
Civilian astronaut wings mark out non-military people who’ve made it to space. NASA came up with its own badge for mission specialists and crew who take part in spaceflights.
Back in 2004, the FAA started giving out Commercial Space Astronaut Wings to pilots and crew pushing commercial spaceflight forward. The agency wanted to highlight the rise of private space travel.
These wings show just how much skill and professionalism spaceflight demands. If you get one, it means you finished a mission beyond Earth’s atmosphere. They’re a badge of honor for one of the toughest things humans do.
In 2022, the FAA stopped handing out physical Commercial Space Astronaut Wings. Now, the agency just lists qualifying people on its website. That move kind of makes sense, given how fast commercial spaceflight has exploded.
You’ll notice design differences right away. NASA’s civilian wings usually come as cloth badges for clothing, while military wings are metal with unique designs for each branch.
Who gives them out? NASA gives civilian badges to its own people. The FAA used to give commercial wings to private pilots, but not anymore. Military branches stick to their own.
How you get them isn’t the same, either. Military folks go through service astronaut programs, while civilians earn recognition by joining NASA missions or flying commercially.
The criteria shift, too. Military wings require specific training and roles. Civilian wings focus more on participation and helping advance space exploration.
To get NASA civilian astronaut wings, you need to join an official space mission as crew or a specialist. You have to meet all mission requirements and help the mission succeed.
The old FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings required flights above 50 statute miles. You had to fly on an FAA-licensed or permitted launch. That 50-mile mark has become the standard for “space.”
The commercial program recognized both test pilots and operational crew who helped develop space vehicles.
These days, the FAA just lists people who cross the 50-mile line on licensed commercial flights. This online system nods to the growing crowd of space tourists and private operators. The change feels like a sign of the industry moving from experimental to routine.
The idea of civilian astronaut wings came about because early space programs only recognized military pilots. Civilian pilots who did the same work got overlooked, so the Federal Aviation Administration eventually stepped in to fix that.
Back in the 1960s, eight test pilots flew the X-15 rocket plane higher than 50 miles. That should’ve meant astronaut status. Still, three NASA civilian pilots didn’t get recognized for decades.
Military pilots got their astronaut wings right away. For civilians, there just wasn’t a system.
Bill Dana, Joe Walker, and John McKay all flew X-15 missions above the 50-mile mark. Dana hit 58.13 miles in 1966 while collecting micrometeorite samples. Walker set an altitude record at 67.08 miles in 1963. McKay made it to 55.98 miles in 1965.
It took until 2005 for these three civilians to finally get their astronaut wings. NASA held a ceremony at Dryden Flight Research Center to set things right.
NASA created the first civilian astronaut wings program to fix the recognition gap from the X-15 era. The agency set up its own criteria and ceremonies for civilian pilots who reached spaceflight status.
Later, the FAA launched the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings program. This one recognized civilians who went above 50 miles on FAA-licensed launches. In 2021, 15 people got wings for qualifying flights.
The FAA has since ended the program. That decision affected passengers on Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flights, which stirred up some controversy among space tourists who expected the badge.
Both NASA and the FAA stuck with the 50-mile altitude as the official line for astronaut status. Military and civilian wings use the same standard now.
A handful of trailblazing civilian astronauts have earned their wings through different programs. Three NASA test pilots finally got recognition for their X-15 flights, and more recently, SpaceX crews have shown what’s possible for civilians in commercial spaceflight.
Three NASA research pilots—Bill Dana, Joe Walker, and John McKay—flew the X-15 above 50 miles in the 1960s. But only military pilots got astronaut wings at the time.
Military X-15 pilots got their wings after each qualifying flight. Civilian NASA pilots did the same missions, but nobody recognized them.
NASA finally fixed this in 2005 at Dryden Flight Research Center. Dana got his wings in person, while family members accepted for Walker and McKay, who’d both passed away. All three had flown above 264,000 feet.
Walker actually made the highest X-15 flight, reaching 354,200 feet in 1963. That flight really pushed the limits of what humans could do back then.
SpaceX has flown several all-civilian missions, with crew members earning astronaut wings. The Inspiration4 mission in 2021 was the first all-civilian orbital flight. Jared Isaacman led the mission with three other civilians.
Other SpaceX flights have kept this going. The Polaris Dawn mission included Sarah Gilles, Anna Menon, and Scott Poteet. They earned recognition for their orbital flights launched from Kennedy Space Center.
The Fram2 mission sent Chun Wang, Rabea Rogge, Eric Phillips, and Jannicke Mikkelsen into orbit. Each one got official recognition for flying above 50 miles.
These civilian astronauts show that space travel isn’t just for government or military folks anymore. SpaceX has made orbital flight possible for private citizens willing to train.
The X-15 program was the first time civilian NASA pilots earned astronaut status by flying rocket planes above 50 miles. Three civilian test pilots hit that mark between 1963 and 1966, but they didn’t get recognized until 2005.
From 1959 to 1968, the X-15 rocket plane program ran 199 missions that broke new ground. Eight test pilots took these wild aircraft above the 50-mile line.
Military pilots got astronaut wings right after their qualifying flights. Civilian NASA pilots didn’t have that option.
NASA couldn’t hand out astronaut wings to civilians back then. Only the military had those badges.
Three civilian test pilots made it to astronaut status with their X-15 flights:
The X-15 reached up to 67 miles high and nearly Mach 7. The data from these missions fed right into Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Shuttle programs.
Joe Walker set the X-15’s altitude record on August 22, 1963, reaching 354,200 feet (67.08 miles). That flight still stands out as the program’s biggest achievement.
John McKay flew to 295,600 feet (55.98 miles) in 1965, running several research experiments and showing off the X-15’s scientific chops.
Bill Dana hit 58.13 miles on November 1, 1966, over the Mojave Desert. He gathered micrometeorite samples and studied sky brightness at the edge of space.
NASA finally gave astronaut wings to these three in July 2005 at Edwards Air Force Base. Family accepted for McKay and Walker.
Dana took the long wait in stride. He pointed out that NASA pilots didn’t usually wear wings, so the recognition mattered less for civilians than for military careers.
Edwards Air Force Base has become the main spot for astronaut wing ceremonies, with the Dryden Flight Research Center running these historic events to honor civilian test pilots who made it to space.
Edwards Air Force Base in California has hosted the biggest civilian astronaut wing ceremonies in U.S. space history. The base just makes sense for these events, given its deep roots in experimental flight.
The most famous ceremony happened in July 2005 at Edwards. That day, three civilian NASA X-15 pilots finally got their astronaut wings for flights they’d made decades earlier. Bill Dana, Joe Walker, and John B. McKay all received the honor.
Edwards serves as a meaningful backdrop for these ceremonies. Test pilots and the experimental aircraft crowd have history there. Many of the flights that earned astronaut wings started right from its runways.
Ceremonies at Edwards usually feature military brass and NASA folks. These events pull together the aerospace community to celebrate civilian achievements in space.
The Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards organized and hosted the big 2005 astronaut wing ceremony. This NASA facility made sure civilian X-15 pilots finally got recognized for their space milestones.
Dryden was the X-15 program’s home base in the 1960s. The staff there knew how important it was to honor civilian test pilots who’d reached space but never got official status.
The center did more than just host. Dryden kept records of civilian flights that qualified for astronaut wings and worked with NASA HQ to set up the criteria.
Dryden’s efforts helped close the book on a long-standing oversight. The center made sure civilian contributions to early spaceflight got their due, right alongside military test pilots.
Back in 2004, the FAA kicked off its Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program to recognize pilots and crew members who pushed commercial human spaceflight forward. The program wrapped up in 2021, right as commercial space tourism finally started to feel like a real thing for more people. Now, the FAA just shouts out space travelers on its website.
The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation rolled out the Astronaut Wings Program in 2004. Patti Grace Smith, who led the office at the time, wanted to honor commercial pilots and flight crew members who actually made it to space.
They focused on people who really helped the FAA’s mission to get humans into space on new vehicles. To get the wings, you had to reach 50 statute miles above Earth’s surface on a flight the FAA licensed or permitted.
These wings weren’t just a pat on the back—they were real badges. If you got one, you could literally pin it on your jacket. This recognition helped shine a spotlight on commercial spaceflight when the industry was still finding its legs.
Between 2004 and 2021, the program stuck to strict rules. Only flight crew and pilots could get the wings, and the FAA paid attention to folks who truly helped advance commercial space transportation.
In December 2021, Wayne Monteith, FAA Associate Administrator, announced the program’s end. He explained that commercial spaceflight had changed—test flights gave way to regular launches with paying customers.
Starting in 2022, the FAA stopped handing out those physical wings. Instead, the agency now lists everyone who qualifies on its official website.
Anyone who reaches 50 statute miles above Earth on an FAA-licensed launch makes the list now. This new approach fits the huge increase in commercial space participants that’s coming.
Right before the program closed, the FAA gave out its final wings to 15 people who qualified in 2021. They also handed out honorary awards to two folks who flew on an experimental test flight back in 2014.
You can still find a complete online database of Commercial Space Flight Recognition recipients. The digital system replaced the physical wings, but the recognition sticks around.
The FAA lays out clear rules for civilians to earn official astronaut wings. It all comes down to altitude thresholds and the type of spacecraft you fly.
To qualify for astronaut wings, civilians must reach 50 statute miles above Earth. According to US standards, that’s where space officially begins.
The 50-mile rule covers all FAA-licensed commercial flights. So, if you’re flying on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo or Blue Origin’s New Shepard, you’re in the right ballpark.
NASA actually uses a different standard. They look to the international Kármán line at 62 miles, but the FAA sticks to 50 miles for commercial wings.
Passengers just need to cross that altitude boundary during the flight. Even a brief moment above 50 miles counts.
Only FAA-licensed or permitted spacecraft count for astronaut wings. The vehicle has to be certified by the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX run the main licensed vehicles for civilians. Each company holds specific FAA approvals for their spacecraft.
Flights have to be part of official commercial space missions. Sometimes, test flights and experimental launches qualify if they have the right FAA permits.
Before flying, civilian participants need to complete required training. Training varies, but usually covers safety briefings and basic spacecraft operations.
After 2021, the FAA stopped giving out physical Commercial Space Astronaut Wings. Now, space travelers get recognized on the FAA’s website.
Private companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic have totally changed how civilians get astronaut wings. The FAA stopped awarding Commercial Space Astronaut Wings after 2025, closing a chapter that started with the first civilian spaceflight programs.
Blue Origin took the lead with its New Shepard program, sending dozens of passengers past the 50-mile mark needed for astronaut wings. Some missions even included celebrities—Katy Perry and Gayle King flew on NS-31 in April 2025.
SpaceX shook things up with orbital missions. Their Crew Dragon capsule carried civilian astronauts on trips like Fram2 and Polaris Dawn, which lasted way longer than typical suborbital flights. These missions proved civilians could handle real-deal orbital operations.
Virgin Galactic used its SpaceShipTwo to launch from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The Galactic-07 mission in June 2024 took five civilians to space, including folks from Turkey and Italy.
The FAA gave wings to 30 people before ending the program. Most earned them on Blue Origin’s New Shepard, but some did it through SpaceX or Virgin Galactic flights.
When the FAA ended the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings program, it showed just how quickly the industry was growing. Honestly, there are just too many people reaching space now for the agency to keep up with individual awards.
Those astronaut wings created a lot of marketing buzz for space tourism companies. Passengers got official federal recognition, which added some real prestige to those pricey tickets. For some, it probably made the cost—sometimes hundreds of thousands or even millions—feel a little more worth it.
Now, space tourism feels less like an exclusive club and more like a new kind of transportation. Companies focus on flying more often and making the experience memorable instead of chasing individual milestones.
After the FAA stepped back, operators started creating their own recognition—certificates, memorabilia, you name it. They want to keep spaceflight special, even without federal wings.
Test pilots brought their flight chops and risk management skills from experimental aircraft straight into civilian space missions. In 2025, NASA recognized three X-15 test pilots with astronaut wings for flights that broke the 50-mile mark back in the 1960s.
Test pilots naturally moved from high-altitude experimental planes to spacecraft. They already had the right skills for unpredictable flight environments. The X-15 program basically bridged the gap between flying in the atmosphere and heading into space.
Seven pilots earned astronaut badges by taking the X-15 rocket plane above 50 miles. These flights pushed the limits of controlled flight at wild altitudes. Lessons from those missions shaped spacecraft design and pilot training procedures.
NASA kept picking test pilots as astronauts because the Space Shuttle needed hands-on piloting. Test pilots knew how to react when things went sideways or systems didn’t behave. That experience was crucial when automated systems couldn’t save the day.
Civilian NASA pilots brought fresh insights from experimental flight. They understood how aircraft performed at the edge of what’s possible. That know-how translated directly to spacecraft, where every mission tested new limits.
Michael Melvill and Brian Binnie became the first civilian test pilots to get commercial astronaut wings from the FAA. Both flew SpaceShipOne past 50 miles in 2004, showing that private companies could pull off safe suborbital flights.
Melvill piloted the first commercial spaceflight on June 21, 2004, reaching 62.2 miles. He proved civilian pilots could handle spacecraft without military backgrounds. Binnie followed with more flights, confirming that civilian space operations could be done safely.
These early flights laid the groundwork for today’s commercial space tourism. Companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX still rely on test pilots to build safe civilian spaceflight programs. The shift from military-only space to civilian access really started with these achievements.
Test pilots still serve as safety pilots and instructors for commercial space companies. Their experience connects traditional aviation with space, making sure civilian passengers get the right training and safety protocols.
Civilian astronaut wings have left a mark—not just on space pioneers but on everyone inspired to chase a commercial spaceflight career. The cultural impact stretches from honoring X-15 test pilots to shifting how people see space as something anyone might reach.
The X-15 program gave us the first civilian astronauts to earn wings for spaceflight achievements. Joe Walker took the X-15 rocket plane beyond the 50-mile boundary twice in 1963, reaching 347,800 and 354,200 feet. Bill Dana completed his space mission in 1968, joining a small group of civilian research pilots who got astronaut wings decades later.
In 2005, NASA formally recognized these achievements—awarding wings to Walker posthumously and to Dana and Jack McKay. The ceremony finally acknowledged their role in spaceflight before there were even formal astronaut programs.
That recognition set a big precedent for civilian space achievements. These pilots tested experimental aircraft that stretched the limits of what humans could do in space. Their work shaped spacecraft design and safety rules still used today.
Modern civilian astronaut wings programs have changed how the public thinks about space. The FAA now recognizes commercial astronaut wings for crew members who show skill and contribute to safety knowledge.
Virgin Galactic pilots Mark Stucky and Frederick Sturckow received the first commercial astronaut wings in 2019. Their flights marked the return of American-built spacecraft carrying crews to space after an eight-year gap. That recognition helped prove commercial spaceflight is a real deal in aerospace.
Eileen Collins, NASA’s first female shuttle commander, broke barriers and inspired women to chase spaceflight careers. Her legacy still encourages more women to join commercial space programs.
The wings program gives future space travelers role models. Each recipient proves that space isn’t just for government astronauts—it’s open to test pilots, researchers, and maybe even tourists.
A handful of key institutions back civilian space achievements in a formal way. NASA leads the charge with its badge and pin programs, while the FAA oversees commercial spaceflight and once awarded wings to commercial astronauts.
NASA runs the most extensive civilian astronaut recognition system in the U.S. The agency gives astronaut badges to career astronauts who participate in space missions but aren’t active military personnel.
The civilian badge shows the same astronaut device design as the military versions—a star with three trailing rays passing through an ellipse. You’ll see this device placed between silver wings, and astronauts wear it on flight suits or jackets.
NASA’s famous astronaut pin program started with the Mercury Seven astronauts. The pins come in two grades: silver pins for those who finish astronaut training and gold pins for those who actually fly in space.
Astronaut candidates get silver pins when they graduate. Once they complete a spaceflight mission, they buy their gold pins for around $400. These pins work as civilian accessories, so astronauts can show off their achievements even when they’re out of uniform.
The Dryden Flight Research Center—now called Armstrong Flight Research Center—helped shape early astronaut recognition. It supported X-15 test flights, which earned seven pilots their astronaut status.
The Federal Aviation Administration ran the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings program from 2004 to 2021. This program recognized pilots and crew on FAA-licensed commercial flights that went higher than 50 miles above Earth.
The FAA gave wings to commercial astronauts like Michael Melvill and Brian Binnie, who flew SpaceShipOne. In 2018, the program expanded to include all passengers on qualifying flights, not just the crew.
Commercial astronaut wings had a unique look, different from NASA’s civilian badges. The program ended in 2021 as commercial space tourism became more common. Only 30 people received the recognition.
The FAA still regulates commercial spaceflight and keeps safety standards in place for civilian space participants. This oversight means civilian astronauts must meet training and medical requirements before other institutions recognize them.
Civilians can earn astronaut wings through a few different routes. Different organizations issue their own types of wings based on specific flight criteria.
The FAA ended its Commercial Space Astronaut Wings program but still recognizes space travelers on its website.
Civilians earn astronaut wings by flying above 50 miles altitude on FAA-licensed or permitted flights. Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic regularly carry civilian passengers who meet this requirement.
SpaceX missions also count. The company has taken plenty of civilians on orbital flights, including trips to the International Space Station.
NASA gives civilian astronaut badges to people who join U.S. space missions. That includes researchers, engineers, and specialists who fly on official missions.
Commercial astronaut wings go to civilians who reach space through private companies. Military astronaut wings are for service members who complete space missions as part of their military roles.
The FAA gave out physical Commercial Space Astronaut Wings to 30 people before ending the program in 2021. Military wings have different designs and qualification standards.
Commercial wings usually require reaching the 50-mile altitude on licensed commercial flights. Military astronaut wings can have extra requirements tied to mission goals and training.
The FAA required commercial launch crew to fly above 50 statute miles on licensed or permitted flights. That’s the internationally recognized boundary of space.
Passengers need to fly on vehicles with proper FAA licensing or permits. Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX all operate under these rules.
Flight duration and specific activities don’t matter. The altitude is the main thing that counts for commercial space recognition.
NASA gives out civilian astronaut badges to people on official U.S. space missions. These badges recognize civilian specialists, researchers, and crew members on government flights.
The FAA used to issue Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, but now it just provides recognition on its website. The agency keeps records of everyone who reaches space on licensed flights.
Private companies don’t issue official astronaut wings. They might hand out their own commemorative items, but those aren’t the same as government-issued badges.
Military personnel can get civilian astronaut recognition when they fly on commercial missions outside their military duties. The type of wings depends on the mission and who’s sponsoring it.
If a service member flies on a SpaceX tourist flight, they’ll qualify for civilian recognition. The same person flying a military space mission would get military astronaut wings.
NASA looks at the mission context before awarding badges. Military personnel on NASA civilian missions usually get civilian astronaut badges instead of military wings.
Astronaut wings mean a lot—they officially recognize someone’s achievement in spaceflight. These pins show that a person actually crossed the line between Earth’s atmosphere and space.
You’ll notice different wing designs depending on the mission and who handed them out. NASA’s civilian badges have their own unique style, which looks pretty different from military astronaut wings.
People keep these pins as a reminder of their time in space. They don’t just mark participation; they celebrate the recipient’s role in human space exploration and their personal journey to reach space.
