Victor A. Prather Award

The Victor A. Prather Award was established to honor this Naval flight surgeon who contributed so much to the understanding of the effects of high altitude environment on humans. He was best known for his high altitude balloon flights and it was in one of these flights that he lost his life. On May 5, 1961, the day of Alan Shepard’s first flight, Prather established a new high altitude balloon record of 21 miles with Malcolm Ross. During their recovery operation off the Carrier Antietam in the Atlantic Ocean, Prather fell into the sea from the helicopter platform and was drowned.

In recognition of Victor Prather’s efforts to promote understanding of high altitude environment on humans, this award honors researchers, engineers and flight crew members in the field of extravehicular protection or activity in space.

2008 - Joseph Kittinger
2007 - Curtis A. Stephenson
2006 - Scott Crossfield (posthumous) and David Clark (posthumous)
2005 - No Award Given
2004 - No Award Given
2003 - No Award Given
2002 - G. Allen Flynt
2001 - No Award Given
2000 - Michael L. Gernhardt
1999 - Jerry L. Ross and James H. Newman
1998 - Guy I. Severin
1997 - Alan M. Rochford
1996 - Willy Z. Sadeh
1995 - Clifford W. Hess, Scott A. Bleisath, Mark Lee
1994 - STS-61 Extravehicular Crew: F. Story Musgrave, Thomas D. Akers, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, and Kathryn C. Thornton
1993 - STS-49 Extravehicular Crew: Thomas D. Akers, Pierre D. Thuot, Richard J. Hieb, and Kathryn C. Thornton
1992 - Kathryn D. Sullivan
1990 - Jerry L. Ross
1989 - No Award Given
1988 - Michael Brzezinski
1987 - Joseph J. Kosmo and Hubert C. Vykukal
1986 - Joseph P. Allen
1985 - James D. van Hoften, William F. Fisher, Jerry L. Ross, and Sherwood C. Spring
1984 - Bruce McCandless II
1983 - No Award Given
1982 - Wilbert E. Ellis and James M. Waligora
1981 - No Award Given
1980 - No Award Given
1979 - Maurice A. Carson and Frederick A. Keune
1978 - James W. McBarron II
1977 - No Award Given
1976 - Larry E. Bell and Robert M. Bernarndin
1975 - David C. Schultz and Harold J. McMann
1974 - Bruce McCandless II and Charles E. Whitsett, Jr.
1973 - Walter Guy and Harley Stutesman, Jr.
1972 - Harold I. Johnson
1971 - Robert E. Breeding and Leonard Shepard
1970 - Robert E. Smylie and Charles Lutz
1969 - Edward L. Hays and James V. Correale
1968 - Fred Forbes
1967 - No Award Given
1966 - No Award Given
1965 - Richard S. Johnston
1964 - No Award Given
1963 - Col. Chuck Yeager
1962 - Malcom Davis Ross