KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, former NASA astronaut Joe H. Engle (right) congratulates Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, on his induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Also chosen for this honor in 2004 are Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, former NASA astronaut Joe H. Engle participates in the 2004 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He is introducing inductee Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission. Also chosen for induction in 2004 are Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Joe Engle acknowledges the applause as he is introduced as a previous inductee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. He and other Hall of Fame members were present for the induction of five new space program heroes into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame: Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission; Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia’s Mir space station; the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission; Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; and Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space mission and the current NASA deputy administrator. Engle made 16 flights in the X-15 rocket plane before he became a NASA astronaut and flew two Space Shuttle missions. In 1981, he commanded the second flight of Columbia, the first manned spacecraft to be reflown in space, and in 1985 he commanded a five-man crew on the 20th shuttle flight, a satellite-deploy and repair mission. 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.

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.