KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick D. Gregory (center) is congratulated by former NASA astronaut James A. Lovell Jr. at his induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, as former NASA astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein looks on. Gregory was the first African-American to command a space mission. Also chosen for this honor in 2004 are Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission; Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia's Mir space station; and the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. To be eligible for induction, an individual must have been a U.S. citizen, a NASA astronaut, and out of the active astronaut corps at least five years. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– Hall of Fame astronauts (from left) Gordon Fullerton, Henry W. "Hank" Hartsfield Jr., Rick Hauk, Dan Brandenstein, Brewster Shaw, Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Bruce McCandless, Steven Hawley, Loren Shriver, Jeff Hoffman, Fred Gregory, John Blaha and Bob Cabana watch the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Cabana is the Kennedy Space Center director. The ceremony took place May 2. More than 20 hall of fame astronauts attended, including Scott Carpenter, Walt Cunningham, Jim Lovell and Bob Crippen. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Following the induction ceremony welcoming five new space program heroes in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the members line up for a commemorative photo. From left, in front, are John Young, John Glenn Jr., Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Walt Cunningham, Ed Mitchell, Al Worden, Rick Hauck, Ed Gibson, Owen Garriott, Vance Brand, Robert Crippen, Joe Engle, Dan Brandenstein. In back are space author Andrew Chaikin, at the podium; and Norm Thagard, June Scobee representing her late husband Dick Scobee, Kathryn Sullivan, Fred Gregory, Richard Covey and Jim Lovell. The induction ceremony was held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs.