This Hughes satellite button was owned by John Bickers, a Public Affairs representative for the McDonnell Company (later McDonnell Douglas), an aerospace company that held contracts with NASA throughout Project Mercury, the Gemini program, the Apollo program, and the Space Shuttle program. He obtained the pin in the course of that work.
Buttons representing specific projects or programs were examples of one type of space memorabilia often distributed to NASA employees and contractors. Wearing this button would demonstrate one's connection to the program. As a result, this button reminds us of the numerous teams of people who worked to support human spaceflight.
During his tenure with McDonnell, Bickers compiled and edited Press Reference Books for the Gemini Space Missions and supported early Space Shuttle flights.
He donated the button to the Museum in 2007.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.