Veteran astronaut Tom Akers was born in St. Louis, grew up in Eminence, Missouri, and attended Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. Then, he went to space — an experience he calls “an honor of a lifetime.”
On Saturday, in a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Akers will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
“I never dreamed of being an astronaut,” Akers said. “Never even thought about it till I got in the Air Force. Fortunately, I had a degree in math from Rolla, and after spending four years as the high school principal at Eminence, I went looking for an easier job.”…