On Saturday April 26, NASA presented long-time Star Trek Captain, William Shatner with the Distinguished Public Service Medal. According to a pun-filled announcement from NASA:

After nearly 50 years of warping across galaxies and saving the universe from a variety of alien threats and celestial disasters, Star Trek’s William Shatner finally went where no other member of Starfleet has gone before. This weekend, the acclaimed actor and director was honored with NASA’s Distinguished Public Service medal, the highest award bestowed by the agency to non-government personnel.¹

Say what you will about Captian Kirk and Star Trek, but Shatner is more than deserving of this award. Not only did Shatner play Kirk, but he has been involved in countless public initiatives with NASA, from narrating several documentaries to offering support to astronauts. David Weaver, NASA’s associate administrator for the Office of Communication, issued a statement regarding NASA’s decision to honor Shatner:

William Shatner has been so generous with his time and energy in encouraging students to study science and math, and for inspiring generations of explorers, including many of the astronauts and engineers who are a part of NASA today…He’s most deserving of this prestigious award.²

The citation on the Distinguished Public Service Medal reads: “For outstanding generosity and dedication to inspiring new generations of explorers around the world, and for unwavering support for NASA and its missions of discovery.”