National Medal of Science
Trump awards Elon Musk the National Medal of Science
· The White House, Washington, D.C.
On 8 October 2026, during the “Science: A New Golden Age” summit at the White House, President Donald Trump presented Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science, the highest honour the United States can give to a scientist or engineer.
Musk, founder of SpaceX, was honoured for engineering achievements that pushed the frontiers of space exploration, intelligent systems and communications. Trump called him “a national treasure” and “our modern-day Thomas Edison”.
Musk was not the only one honoured that day: Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang and Lisa Su also received the National Medal of Science, and Michael Dell and Satya Nadella received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
“For engineering achievements of extraordinary ambition and scale that have pushed the frontiers of space exploration, intelligent systems, communications, and beyond, renewing American technological leadership and opening a new chapter in American manufacturing.”
Sources: Space.com · The Hill · Teslarati · Not a Tesla App