If you're passionate about space or simply love unforgettable experiences, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, less than an hour's drive from Orlando, is a must-see on your trip to Florida. And on May 31, something new will be added to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, as two giants of NASA's space program, Peggy Whitson and Bernard Harris, will be immortalized there. The veteran astronauts will join the current 109 members.
Imagine yourself surrounded by the legends of space exploration, with iconic artifacts like the Space Shuttle Atlantis® as a backdrop, and experiencing the legacy of those who have explored space up close. The complex offers countless attractions that will spark your imagination, and no matter your age, the excitement is the same.
“The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame welcomes two exceptional veterans and pioneers of the space program who contributed significantly to NASA's mission and program,” said Curt Brown, chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which manages the selection process. “Whitson and Harris continue to serve as exemplary role models in their post-NASA careers. It is a tremendous honor to induct them into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.
The official ceremony and gala will take place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on May 31, 2025. With Space Shuttle Atlantis® as a backdrop, the event will feature several legendary astronauts. The inductees will then be honored at a gala hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
Both Whitson and Harris worked for NASA beyond their time as astronauts: Whitson for 37 years and Harris for 10 years. Today, Whitson remains connected to space and exploration as an astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, while Harris works in venture capital.
Meet the New US Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductees
Peggy Whitson, Ph.D.
Dr. Peggy Whitson grew up on a farm outside of Beaconsfield, Iowa, with her siblings and parents, who were farmers. She decided to become an astronaut after watching the first moon landing on television in 1969.
As an astronaut, she flew three long-duration space missions with NASA and served as commander of the Axiom 2 (Ax-2) mission, accumulating a total of 675 days in space, more than any other American astronaut or female astronaut in the world.
Whitson has more than 38 years of experience in space exploration and science with NASA and Axiom Space. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of key roles, including Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office, two-time Commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Chair of the NASA Astronaut Selection Board, Chief of the NASA Operations Branch and Deputy Director of a NASA Division, Chief of the Medical Sciences and Astronaut Office, and Co-Chair of the U.S./Russia Working Group on Science Missions.
During her three missions to the ISS (Expeditions 5, 16, and 50/51/52), she performed 10 spacewalks, totaling more than 60 hours, and conducted hundreds of research experiments. On her first long-duration mission to the ISS (Expedition 5), she was named NASA's first female science officer, conducting 21 life science and microgravity investigations, as well as commercial payloads. Throughout her career, she has contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, and the physical and Earth sciences, and welcomed several cargo spacecraft carrying tons of supplies and research experiments.
On Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), she became the first woman to command a private astronaut mission, adding to her accomplishments as the first female ISS commander and the first non-military woman to serve as Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office. Whitson will lead her second commercial human spaceflight mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), scheduled for launch no earlier than spring 2025 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Whitson holds BS in Biology and Chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan University and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Rice University. She has been awarded several NASA Medals for Leadership, Outstanding Leadership, and Exceptional Service, as well as the National Air and Space Museum’s Michael Collins Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), Forbes 50 Over 50, Innovation (2023), Glamour’s Woman of the Year (2017), TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World (2018), and Women in Aviation Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), among numerous other prestigious awards.
Bernard Harris
Since 1986, Dr. Harris has worked in NASA’s space program, serving in a variety of roles at the NASA Ames Space Flight Center, the NASA Johnson Space Flight Center, and NASA Headquarters. Throughout his career, he has worked as a research scientist, flight surgeon, astronaut, and advisor. He led studies on musculoskeletal physiology and space adaptation, developing medical devices to extend astronauts' stay in space.
A veteran astronaut for over thirty years, Harris served as a mission specialist on STS-55 and payload commander on STS-63. He has logged over 438 flight hours and traveled over 7.2 million miles in space.
On February 9, 1995, Harris became the first African American to perform a spacewalk during his second Space Shuttle flight.
Currently, Harris is CEO & Managing Partner of Vesalius Ventures, Inc., a venture capital firm focused on investing in healthcare technology and startups.
He has also dedicated over 25 years to math and science education through his philanthropic foundation, the Harris Institute & Foundation.
Source: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.