Once a year, Kennedy Space Center holds a special event where more than 20 astronauts gather to honor their own, and this year, guests at the Visitors Complex were able to join in on some of that fun. This past Saturday, May 2, at 3 pm, the eighth group of space shuttle astronauts were inducted in to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, and everyone visiting the Visitors Complex was welcome to help mark the occasion.

During the public ceremony, veteran space shuttle astronauts George “Pinky” Nelson, William Shepherd, and Jim Wetherbee joined an elite group of space heroes like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Sally Ride, and John Young. Each inductee brings his own chapter of space history to the Hall of Fame. Nelson, for example, is one of only six astronauts to fly the Manned Maneuvering Unit untethered in Space, Shepherd is commander of the first crew to live aboard the International Space Station, and Wetherbee is commander of the longest docked shuttle-Mir mission. These new inductees bring the number of space explorers in the Hall of Fame to 73.

Attending the ceremony to honor the latest inductees were famous astronauts like Scott Carpenter, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, Bob Crippen, Al Worden, and Walt Cunningham. And as part of the weekend celebrations, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex featured special bus tours guided by Hall of Fame astronauts such as Cunningham, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Fred Gregory, and Rick Hauck. In addition, autograph sessions, book signings, and public presentations with Hall of Fame members occurred all weekend long.

On Saturday, the first book signing took place from 10:30 am to 11:30 am with Apollo 16 and Hall of Fame Astronaut Charlie Duke; the second took take place from 1 pm to 2 pm with Apollo 13 and Hall of Fame Astronaut Jim Lovell. The astronauts signed their own books (one for each person), which were then available for sale at the Space Shop.

Then on Sunday at 10:45 am, 2:45 pm, and 4 pm, there were presentations from John Blaha, five-time space shuttle and Hall of Fame Astronaut. All book signings and presentations took place at the Astronaut Encounter Theater.

Admission to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony was included with admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, which you can get for discount prices right here at OrlandoFunTickets.com.