NASA astronaut Thomas D. Akers was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 16 during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Akers was born in St. Louis, grew up in Eminence, Missouri, and attended Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. Then, he went to space — an experience he calls “an honor of a lifetime.”
Akers and fellow astronaut Joseph R. Tanner were the 2026 inductees honored during the event, which was hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The ceremony took place in an auditorium beneath the retired space shuttle Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Several residents from Eminence traveled to Florida to witness the historic occasion and celebrate Akers’ accomplishments. Members of the group received reserved badged seating with assistance and guidance from Akers prior to the ceremony.
Akers, a graduate of Eminence High School, served four years as a high school principal before joining the U.S. Air Force. Reflecting on the career change, Akers joked, “I went looking for an easier job.”
During his Air Force career, Akers became a flight test engineer, often referred to as a “backseater,” and flew in a variety of aircraft before being selected for NASA’s astronaut program.
“I never dreamed of being an astronaut,” Akers said. “Never even thought about it till I got in the Air Force. Fortunately, I had a degree in math from Rolla, and after spending four years as the high school principal at Eminence, I went looking for an easier job.”
That career change involved blasting through the atmosphere on a rocket and drifting through the airless vacuum of space. By the end of his career, Akers took part in four space shuttle missions — including the 1993 repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, which NASA describes as “one of the most challenging and complex manned missions ever attempted.”
For Akers, it was another day on the job.
“When you’re out there in a spacesuit, [it’s] kind of like being in a straitjacket. You can’t move as quickly or as easily as you can here with gravity,” he said. “It’s not scary at all. You’re really concentrating on getting the job done when you’re out there. … You literally don’t waste any time, and very rarely do you get to look around and look at the Earth.”
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame now includes 113 members who have made significant contributions to America’s space program.
Following his retirement from NASA, Akers taught mathematics for 10 years at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He and his wife, Kaye, now reside on their farm near Eminence, where he remains active in community affairs.
Those interested in learning more about Akers’ career and accomplishments can visit the Tom Akers exhibit at the Shannon County Museum.