KENNEDY SPACE CENTER - Three veteran astronauts joined an exclusive group of colleagues today as the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation inducted the space travelers into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center during gala ceremonies this weekend. The three new members, all retired astronauts, include veterans of Gemini, Apollo, space shuttle and the first space station crew member to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. VIDEO: Joining the hall of fame this year are former astronauts George "Pinky" Nelson, one of only four space shuttle astronauts to fly untethered in space using NASA's Manned Maneuvering Unit; William Shepherd, former Navy SEAL and commander of the first crew to live aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 1; and Jim Wetherbee, commander of the longest docked shuttle-Mir mission on STS-86. This is the eighth group of space shuttle astronauts named to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Earlier inductees represent the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz programs. The addition of Nelson, Shepherd and Wetherbee will bring the number of space explorers enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 73. Astronauts who have previously been inducted into the Hall include John Blaha, Vance Brand, Dan Brandenstein, Scott Carpenter, Jerry Carr, Robert Crippen, Walt Cunningham, Charles Duke, Gordon Fullerton, Owen Garriott, Ed Gibson, Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Richard Gordon, Fred Gregory, Hank Hartsfield, Rick Hauck, Steven Hawley, Jeff Hoffman, James Lovell, Bruce McCandless, Edgar Mitchell, Brewster Shaw, Loren Shriver and Al Worden. George "Pinky" Nelson - Nelson flew three space shuttle missions during the 11 years he was in the Astronaut Corps, from 1978 to 1989. William Shepard - A four-time space shuttle astronaut, Shepherd commanded the first mission to the International Space Station (ISS), living and working aboard the outpost for 141 days, from October 2000 to March 2001. Jim Wetherbee - Wetherbee commanded five of the six space shuttle missions he flew during his 19 years in the NASA Astronaut Corps. (The Spacearium / Space Media Corporation)
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