【AI前沿】Two space shuttle-era spacewalkers enter Astronaut Hall of Fame

Nos. 112 and 113Two space shuttle-era spacewalkers enter Astronaut Hall of Fame“Two astronauts whose careers embody excellence, leadership, and service.”Robert Pearlman–May 23, 2026 7:30 am|13Newly-inducted astronauts Tom Akers (left) and Joe Tanner admire the plaques that will represent them in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Saturday, May 16, 2026.Credit:

      Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexNewly-inducted astronauts Tom Akers (left) and Joe Tanner admire the plaques that will represent them in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Saturday, May 16, 2026.Credit:

      Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexText
    settingsStory textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth*StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers onlyLearn moreMinimize to navTom Akers and Joe Tanner are finally in the same class.The two veteran space shuttle crew memberswere inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fametogether on May 16. They could also have been in the same NASA astronaut selection group, too, had history played out a little differently.In 1984, Tanner reported to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to fly as an instructor pilot and then applied for the next class of astronaut candidates.“Tom came in with the class of 1987, which, interestingly enough, I interviewed for. He made it, and I didn’t,” said Tanner.“And I’ve been leading the way ever since,” said Akers, interrupting Tanner while both laughed in a joint interview with collectSPACE.com. “I have never understood why it took NASA so long to pick him.” (Tanner became an astronaut in 1992.)US Astronaut Hall of Fame class of 2026 members Tom Akers and Joe Tanner (at center) are surrounded by 18 past honorees at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Saturday, May 16, 2026.Credit:
                                  Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexUS Astronaut Hall of Fame class of 2026 members Tom Akers and Joe Tanner (at center) are surrounded by 18 past honorees at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Saturday, May 16, 2026.Credit:

      Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexAkers’ and Tanner’s spaceflight careers overlapped by five years and included four missions each. Although they never launched into Earth orbit together, they flew numerous T-38 jet training flights and knew each other well.“Our families were friends,” said Akers. “We went to the same church, so we were more social friends than work friends at JSC.”Twenty years after the last of their flights returned from space, Akers and Tanner were finally side by side under the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s display of the retired space shuttleAtlantis—a vehicle on which both rode—to beinducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fameas the class of 2026.“It was something I was aware of as a possibility, but had never really given thought I would get inducted, said Akers. “So it was a pleasant surprise for sure.”“We both knew we were on the ballot,” said Tanner. “I had been on the [nominee] ballot with Tom for 10 years.”A pair of spacewalkersThe induction ceremony coincided with the 34th anniversary of Akers’ landing from what may have been his most famous mission. On May 16, 1992, he touched down on the space shuttleEndeavourafter becoming one-third of the only three-person spacewalk in history.Akers, together with his STS-49 crewmates Rick Hieb and Pierre Thuot, reached up with their gloved hands to grab hold of and secure a communications satellite in the orbiter’s payload bay.“All of our spacewalks are designed really for two people; the system really isn’t made where it’s easy for three people,” Akers told collectSPACE. “That was a unique situation where we couldn’t get the capture bar on the Intelsat VI, and the ground [controllers] and our crew came up with the idea of three people going out. With the teamwork and great ground team support, it worked slick.”Brian Duffy (at right) inducts Tom Akers into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Saturday, May 16, 2026.Credit:
                                  Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexBrian Duffy (at right) inducts Tom Akers into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Saturday, May 16, 2026.Credit:

      Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexAkers and Tanner both conducted spacewalks to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), carefully manipulating delicate optical instruments in a closely confined area. Tanner also helped assemble the large backbone truss and solar arrays wings for the International Space Station (ISS).“I have often been asked what is the difference between ISS and an HST EVA [extravehicular activity], and I think it’s hands and overall physical effort,” said Tanner. “Manual dexterity in your hands was more important f