VOL 26 ISSUE 23, June 9, 2025
Main caption: Peggy Whitson and Bernard Harris (pictured above) on May 31 were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a prestigious ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which Delaware North operates for NASA. Whitson was not in attendance as she is preparing to launch into space in early June.
Veteran NASA astronauts Bernard Harris and Peggy Whitson on May 31 were inducted into the prestigious U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame – marking the 26th class of honorees to join the esteemed society.
The ceremony was held at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which Delaware North operates for NASA on Florida’s Space Coast, set against the backdrop of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Harris and Whitson were honored for their outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery. Whitson was not in attendance as she is preparing to launch into space with Axiom-4 and received her medal before entering quarantine.
Delivering remarks during the ceremony were Curt Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which stewards the selection process each year; Therrin Protze, chief operating officer for Delaware North at the visitor complex; and Kelvin Manning, acting director for Kennedy Space Center. More than 33 other veteran astronauts, many of whom also have been inducted into the hall of fame, attended the ceremony.
“Harris and Whitson truly represent the courage, adventurous spirit and dedication to exploration that are vital for success in the space program,” Brown said. “With their remarkable achievements and contributions to the field, it’s only appropriate to welcome them into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where they join the legacy of space trailblazers to receive this prestigious honor.”
Photo captions: At left, Peggy Whitson (second from right), 2025 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee, revealed her plaque and received her recognition prior to entering the quarantine period for her upcoming Axiom-4 space mission with fellow astronauts (from left to right) Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Shubhanshu Shukla of India and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.
At right, Bernard Harris (center) is joined by veteran astronauts and fellow Hall of Fame members after the 26th U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Both Harris and Whitson had careers with NASA beyond the time they served as astronauts, with Harris working with NASA for 10 years and Whitson for 37 years. Each has continued to work in their respective fields with a focus on their love of space and science.
Their induction brings the total number of astronauts in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame to 111.
The induction was covered by several national media outlets, including CBS News, Yahoo and MSN.