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2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction

Space Shuttle Atlantis® (Bottom Floor)

SatSaturdayMay 16
  • 10:30am
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US Astronaut Hall Of Fame attraction
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The 2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, and all are invited to this star-studded event!

Watch up close as the next batch of specially selected American astronauts receive one of the highest honors in their industry, each demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery. This year, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is inducting astronauts Tom Akers and Joe Tanner.

The induction ceremony will be held on the lower level of Space Shuttle Atlantis®, beginning at 10:30 AM. It is included with admission, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Signed posters of the inductees may be picked up in the Information building, while supplies last.

2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductees

Official NASA headshot of astronaut Tom Akers, wearing a space suit with the American flag in the background

Tom Akers

  • Mission Specialist, STS-41

  • Mission Specialist, STS-49

  • Mission Specialist, STS-61

  • Mission Specialist, STS-79

2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductee

Raised in Eminence MO, Tom earned his BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics from the University of MO-Rolla in 1973 and 1975 respectively. Tom was selected by NASA for the astronaut program in 1987.

His first of four shuttle missions was STS-41, where he was the crewmember responsible for the deployment of the Ulysses spacecraft in October 1990.  His second mission was STS-49 in May 1992, the first flight of the new shuttle Endeavour.  He was the Intravehicular (IV) crewmember on the first two EVA attempts to capture the stranded Intelsat VI satellite, and then was the third man on the unplanned first and only three-person EVA that successfully captured Intelsat VI and installed a new rocket motor.  His third mission was STS-61 in December 1993, the first Hubble (HST) repair mission.  He performed two EVAs and served as the IV crewmember for three more that resulted in the successful repair of the HST.  His fourth mission was STS-79 in September 1996.  This was a resupply and crew exchange flight to the Russian space station MIR.   He has accumulated over 800 hours in space and over 29 hours of space walking time. 

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Official NASA portrait of astronaut Joe Tanner

Joe Tanner

  • Mission Specialist, STS-66

  • Mission Specialist, STS-82

  • Mission Specialist, STS-97

  • Mission Specialist, STS-115

2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductee

Born January 21, 1950, in Danville, Illinois, Joe Tanner earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Illinois before joining the Navy to pursue his passion for flying.

Though very happy flying and supporting missions for eight years, Joe never lost sight of his goal to be an astronaut himself.  After several applications, he was selected as a member of the 1992 astronaut class, Group 14.  During his sixteen-year career as an astronaut, he flew four missions on the Space Shuttle: STS-66 (Atlantis), STS-82 (Discovery), STS-97 (Endeavour), and STS-115 (Atlantis).  

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About the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

Each year, inductees are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 15 years before the induction. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen and a NASA-trained Space Shuttle Commander, Pilot, Mission Specialist, or an International Space Station (ISS) Commander or Flight Engineer who has orbited the Earth at least once.

The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame was spearheaded more than 30 years ago by the six surviving Mercury 7 astronauts. Stop in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the visitor complex, as part of Heroes & Legends.