Tom Akers and Joe Tanner were welcomed into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 16, 2026, at Kennedy Space Center. The ceremony, led by news correspondent John Zarella, celebrated the two former shuttle astronauts’ lifelong dedication to space exploration and their hands‑on EVA work on Hubble and the ISS during the shuttle era.

During their careers, Akers logged nearly 30 hours of spacewalks in a 34‑day mission, while Tanner accumulated 46½ hours over 43 days. Their missions included delicate repairs to Hubble’s optics and the assembly of the ISS’s backbone truss and solar‑array wings, illustrating the stark difference between tight‑space and heavy‑payload EVAs for future missions.

Class of 2016 inductee Brian Duffy presented Akers with his Hall of Fame medal, while former STS‑115 pilot Chris Ferguson honored Tanner. The event drew 20 veteran astronauts, including 15 existing Hall members, and featured remarks from Astronaut Scholarship Foundation chairman Curt Brown and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center deputy director Kelvin Manning for the program.

Inducting two ex‑shuttle crew members underscores NASA’s commitment to preserving EVA heritage while inspiring new generations. Their hands‑on expertise on Hubble and the ISS showcases the evolution of spacewalk technology, bridging the gap between precision optics work and large‑scale orbital construction—an enduring legacy for future explorers in the next decade for humanity's.