New Frontier Bronze Medal

The New Frontier Bronze Medal is a duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to astronauts John Herschel Glenn Jr., Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins in recognition of their significant contributions to society, including:

• John Glenn helped pave the way for the first lunar landing when he became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962.
• Neil Armstrong, as mission commander for Apollo 11, gained the distinction of being the first astronaut to land a craft on the moon and to step on its surface on July 21, 1969.
• Buzz Aldrin joined Neil Armstrong in piloting the lunar module, Eagle, and became the second person to walk on the lunar surface.
• Michael Collins piloted the command module, Columbia, in lunar orbit and helped his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts complete their mission on the moon.

The actions of all four astronauts continue to greatly inspire the people of the United States and entire world.

Congress authorized the medal on August 7, 2009. It was presented to the astronauts on November 16, 2011.