Veteran NASA Astronauts Tom Akers, Joe Tanner to Be Inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Set for May 16 at Kennedy Space Center

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Veteran NASA astronauts Tom Akers and Joe Tanner will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 16 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation announced.

Akers and Tanner will join a distinguished group of American space pioneers whose careers helped shape the Space Shuttle Program, the assembly of the International Space Station, and some of NASA’s most complex missions.

The induction ceremony and gala will be held against the backdrop of Space Shuttle Atlantis and hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

“Joe Tanner and Tom Akers made lasting contributions to NASA and the advancement of our nation’s space program,” said Curt Brown, chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

“Both have continued to extend their impact beyond NASA as educators and mentors.”

Akers flew four Space Shuttle missions between 1990 and 1996, including the first Hubble Space Telescope repair mission and a historic, unplanned three-person spacewalk during STS-49.

Over his career, Akers logged more than 800 hours in space and 29 hours of spacewalk time. He also held senior leadership roles at NASA and later served as an Air Force ROTC commander and university instructor before retiring from public service.

Tanner flew four Space Shuttle missions from 1994 to 2006, contributing to Earth science research, Hubble servicing missions, and critical International Space Station assembly flights.

He performed seven spacewalks totaling more than 46 hours and logged more than 1,000 hours in space. Following his NASA career, Tanner became a teaching professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and remains active in STEM education and mentorship.

The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame honors astronauts selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, historians, and journalists. Eligibility requires U.S. citizenship and a NASA spaceflight career beginning at least 15 years prior to induction.

The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is located at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which has awarded more than $10 million in STEM scholarships to students nationwide since its founding.

For more information, visit AstronautScholarship.org.

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