Veteran spacewalkers Tom Akers and Joe Tanner inducted into US Astronaut Hall of Fame
Ceremony marks 34th anniversary of historic three-person spacewalk; honours five-year career overlap between shuttle-era astronauts.
Tom Akers and Joe Tanner, two veteran space shuttle astronauts with extensive extravehicular experience, were inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 16, 2026. The ceremony took place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, held beneath the display of the retired space shuttle Atlantis, a vehicle on which both astronauts flew. They were inducted as the class of 2026, joining approximately 20 other veteran NASA astronauts, including 15 existing Hall of Fame members.
The induction coincided with the 34th anniversary of Akers’ STS-49 mission, which featured the only three-person spacewalk in history. During that May 16, 1992 mission, Akers, along with crewmates Rick Hieb and Pierre Thuot, secured the Intelsat VI communications satellite in the orbiter’s payload bay. Akers noted that the three-person configuration was a unique solution to a capture bar failure, relying on teamwork and ground support to execute the task successfully.
Tanner and Akers shared a long professional and personal history that predated their eventual induction together. Tanner interviewed for the 1987 astronaut candidate class, which Akers joined, but was not selected until 1992. The two flew numerous T-38 jet training flights and knew each other well, with Akers noting that their families were friends and they attended the same church. Their spaceflight careers overlapped by five years, with both completing four missions each, though they never launched into Earth orbit together.
Both astronauts conducted critical repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope, requiring high manual dexterity in confined spaces. Tanner also assisted in assembling the International Space Station’s backbone truss and solar arrays. Tanner described the difference between the two types of missions as one of physical effort, noting that ISS assembly involved hauling heavy objects over long distances compared to the precision work required for Hubble. In total, Akers spent nearly 34 days in space with almost 30 hours of spacewalks, while Tanner logged 43 days and 46.5 hours of extravehicular activities.
The ceremony featured remarks from Curt Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, who highlighted the astronauts’ contributions to NASA and their work as educators. Brian Duffy, inducted in 2016, formally presented Akers with his Hall of Fame medal, while Chris Ferguson, inducted in 2022, honoured Tanner. The event also included the unveiling of etched-glass portraits and mission patch displays for the inductees, which will now hang alongside other plaques at the Visitor Complex.
