Awards
Distinguished Alumni for Career Achievement & Community Leadership, Manheim Township Education Foundation 2011
Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement: “In recognition of the first definitive detection of methane in the atmosphere of Mars, revealing an active and dynamic planet and a possible abode for life beyond Earth” (NASA, 2010)
“John C. Lindsay” Memorial Award for Space Science (2009). For Leadership and scientific contributions leading to the detection of methane on Mars. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Alumni Citation for Distinguished Career Achievement, Franklin & Marshall College (2008)
Adjunct Professor of Physics with Honors, The University of Toledo (2002 — 2005)
Asteroid 8340 (= 1985 TS1) named "Michael J. Mumma" by Intl. Astron. Union (1999)
Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement: “For the first detection of saturated hydrocarbons in a cometary atmosphere” (discovery of ethane and methane in comet Hyakutake) (NASA, 1997)
Elected to Fellowship - American Physical Society (1990)
Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement: “For the first detection and characterization of cometary water; in comet Halley” (NASA, 1988)
Elected to Fellowship - Washington Academy of Sciences (1980)
Adjunct Professor of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University
Nominee - Council (1984), - Chair (1987, 2006) Div. Planetary Sciences, Amer. Astron. Soc.
Who's Who in America (since 1981); American Men and Women of Science (since 1985)
Trustee’s Fellow (Elmer Bobst), Franklin and Marshall College (1963)
Kershner Award (Physics), Franklin and Marshall College (1962)
Elected to Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics Honorary Society) (1962)
Exceptional Performance Award for Leadership in Infrared Astronomy (NASA/Goddard, 1979)
Outstanding Performance Award (NASA/Goddard, 1978, 1983, 1986)
Merit Achievement Awards (NASA/Goddard, 1974, 1983)
Group Achievement Award (NASA/Ames 1987) - KAO Comet Halley Expeditions
Group Achievement Award (NASA/Goddard, 1991) - Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)