National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |
||
Biographical Data |
Tom Akers (Colonel, USAF, Ret.)
NASA Astronaut (former)
PERSONAL DATA: Born May 20, 1951, in St. Louis, Missouri, but raised and educated in his hometown of Eminence, Missouri. Married to the former Kaye Lynn Parker of Eminence, Missouri. They have two grown children. Tom enjoys hunting, fishing, restoring automobiles, and spending time with his family. His parents, Walter and Arlie Akers, are both deceased. EDUCATION: Graduated from Eminence High School, Eminence, Missouri, in 1969; received bachelor and master of science degrees in applied mathematics from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1973 and 1975, respectively. SPECIAL HONORS: High School Valedictorian. Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a class rank of #1 from University of Missouri-Rolla. Named a Distinguished Graduate of USAF Officer Training School, Squadron Officers School, and Test Pilot School. Recipient of the Department of Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Legion of Merit Award; Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal; USAF Meritorious Service Medal; USAF Commendation Medal; USAF Achievement Medal; NASA Distinguished Service Medal; two NASA Exceptional Service Medals; four NASA Space Flight Medals. Awarded an honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1992. EXPERIENCE: Akers was a National Park Ranger at Alley Springs, Missouri, during the summer seasons from 1972 through 1976. After graduating from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1975, he spent four years as the high school principal in his hometown of Eminence. Joining the Air Force in 1979, his first assignment after Officer Training School was to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, as an air-to-air missile data analyst where he also taught night classes in Math and Physics for Troy State University. In 1982 he was selected to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. On completing one year of training as a flight test engineer, in 1983 he was reassigned to Eglin Air Force Base, where he worked on a variety of weapons development programs, flying F-4, F-15, and T-38 aircraft until he was selected for the astronaut program. He has logged over 2,500 hours flying time in 25 different types of aircraft. NASA EXPERIENCE:
Akers was selected for the astronaut
program in 1987. Positions held since then include: Astronaut Office focal point
for Space Shuttle software development; astronaut representative during Shuttle
software testing in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); supported
launch activities at the Kennedy Space Center; astronaut representative for
EVA activities (space walks); Deputy Director of Mission Operations; Acting
Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations, and Assistant Director (Technical)
of Johnson Space Center. Akers left the astronaut program and NASA in August
of 1997 to return to the USAF as the commander of the USAFROTC Detachment 442
at the University of Missouri-Rolla. SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:
A veteran of four space flights
(STS-41 in 1990, STS-49 in 1992, STS-61 in 1993, STS-79 in 1996), Akers has
accumulated over 800 hours of space flight including over 29 hours of space
walking experience. This is the only version available from NASA. Updates must be sought direct from the above named individual.
|
© 2003 - 2017 by Shannon County Coordinators or individual contributors as shown. No portion of this site is to be considered public domain and is not to be reproduced for any purpose without express written consent of the owner of the material.