“All of our spacewalks are really designed for two people; the system isn’t really built where it’s easy for three people,” Akers told collectSPACE. “It was a unique situation where we couldn’t get the grab bar on Intelsat VI, and the ground (controllers) and our crew came up with the idea of three people going out. With teamwork and great ground team support, it worked smoothly.”
Brian Duffy (right) inducts Tom Akers into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Brian Duffy (right) inducts Tom Akers into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Akers and Tanner performed spacewalks to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), carefully manipulating delicate optical instruments in a closely confined space. Tanner also helped assemble the large trunk truss and solar array wings for the International Space Station (ISS).
“I’ve often been asked what the difference is between an ISS and an HST EVA[extra-vehicular activity]and I think it’s the hands and the overall physical effort,” Tanner said. “Manual dexterity was more important for the HST, and for the ISS you’re walking around pretty big, heavy objects and maneuvering a long way. That’s the biggest difference.”
In all, Akers spent about 30 hours of his 34 days on spacewalks. Tanner logged 43 days, including 46 and a half hours on EVAs.
Join the ranks
Saturday’s ceremony was emceed by news reporter John Zarella and included speeches by Kurt Brown, chairman of the board of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which manages the nomination and selection process each year; Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of the visitor complex; and Kelvin Manning, associate director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
“Today’s presentation of Tom Akers and Joe Tanner honors two astronauts who epitomized excellence, leadership and service in their careers,” said Brown, who was a NASA astronaut in the same class as Akers and flew on Atlantis with Tanner. “Their continued contributions to NASA and their continued work as educators and mentors reflect the best of the U.S. space program.”
Joe Tanner (left) is inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame by STS-115 pilot Chris Ferguson at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, May 16, 2026.
Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Joe Tanner (left) is inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame by STS-115 pilot Chris Ferguson at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, May 16, 2026.
Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
“We are proud to induct them into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame,” he said. Member of the class of 2013.
Brian Duffy, class of 2016Akers officially presented him with a Hall of Fame medal. Chris Ferguson flew as a pilot Tanner’s last mission, STS-115and who was Introduced in 2022honored his former crewmate in the same way. The event was attended by 20 veteran NASA astronauts, including 15 Hall of Fame members.
The ceremony also included the unveiling of etched glass portraits and mission patch displays, which will later hang alongside 111 other similar plaques representing the inductees. Established in 1990, it was the US Astronaut Hall of Fame A feature of the Heroes & Legends attraction At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex since 2016.
