Three veteran astronauts to be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday
Three veteran astronauts are to be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Saturday morning at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
David Leestma, Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson will be honored beneath Space Shuttle Atlantis at 11 a.m. Saturday with a ceremony and gala. The three make up the 21st class of U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame inductees, bringing the total number of inductees to 102.
Saturday's ceremony comes after the 2020 ceremony was postponed to November 2021, when Pamela Melroy, Scott Kelly, and Michael Lopez-Alegria were inducted into the class of 2020. No inductees were chosen for the class of 2021 due to impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Following Saturday's ceremony and gala, Leestma, Magnus and Ferguson will be celebrated with a black-tie event hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
Who are the 2022 inductees?
To be chosen as an inductee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, an astronaut must be a U.S. citizen, have made their first flight at least 17 years prior to the induction year and be a NASA-trained commander, pilot or mission specialist who has orbited the Earth at least once.
"As we embark on a new era of space travel and interplanetary exploration, we are pleased to resume this annual program — as scheduled — and welcome these accomplished individuals into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame," said Curt Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which oversees the selection process for inductees.
"All three have demonstrated the characteristics that define a Hall of Famer: heroism, commitment and bravery."
Leestma, who was chosen as an astronaut in 1980, flew three space shuttle missions. Following his retirement from the Astronaut Office and the U.S. Navy, he worked in a variety of NASA executive positions, including as the Johnson Space Center program manager for the Space Launch Initiative; assistant program manager for the Orbital Space Plane; and deputy director of engineering in charge of the Johnson Space Center Government Furnished Equipment projects for the International Space Station.
He also worked as the director of flight crew operations. Over the course of his tenure, 41 space shuttle flights and seven shuttle-MIR flights were flown successfully; three new astronaut classes were selected; assembly operations on the International Space Station began and he oversaw the developments of the NASA T-38A fleet to the T-38N supersonic jet trainers.
Prior to his retirement from NASA in 2014, he was awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive twice.
Magnus, who began her career with NASA in 1996, flew on two space shuttle missions: once in 2002, and again on the final space shuttle flight in 2011. She also flew to the International Space Station in 2008 to work as a flight engineer and science officer for 4½ months.
While at NASA, Magnus worked internationally with others involved in space exploration, including the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Canadian Space Agency. She spent time in Russia working to develop and integrate operational products and procedures to prepare for the beginning of International Space Station operations. She later served as a capsule communicator in the space station's mission control center during the early phases of crewed missions.
A member of the NASA Aerospace Advisory Panel and president of the board of AstraFemina, a nonprofit that encourages young girls to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math careers, Magnus has received many awards, including the NASA Space Flight Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal of Exceptional Public Service and the 40 at 40 Award.
Ferguson, a retired U.S. Navy captain, is a flight crew representative for Boeing's Commercial Crew Program, where he ensures the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and training systems fulfill the needs of NASA astronauts. He also works with NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, Johnson Space Center's Engineering, Flight Crew and Mission Operations organizations and NASA's Commercial Crew Program to make sure Boeing's crew transportation system meets NASA's human rating requirements.
Prior to serving in his current roles, he served as a pilot during one space shuttle flight and commander on two others, including the final shuttle mission. Logging more than 40 days in space, he served as deputy chief of the Astronaut Office and spacecraft communicator for four space shuttle missions.
He has been honored with service awards and citations including the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Strike/Flight Air Medal, three NASA Spaceflight Medals, three Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Leestma, Magnus, Ferguson to be inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
