TOM AKERS (COLONEL, U.S. AIR FORCE, 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, horseback riding, farming 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 of Science degree and a Master of 

Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1973 and 1975, 

respectively.

SPECIAL HONORS: Graduated Summa Cum Laude 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 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.

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

September 2020

Biographical Data

 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

 Houston, Texas 77058
Akers retired from the Air Force in October of 1999 and accepted a position as an instructor in the Math 

Department at the University of Missouri-Rolla, now named Missouri University of Science and 

Technology (S&T). He retired from S&T in 2010.

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.

On STS-41, October 6-10, 1990, he was responsible for the deployment of the primary payload, the 

Ulysses spacecraft. The STS-41 crew successfully deployed the interplanetary probe and started it on its 

four-year journey via Jupiter to investigate the polar regions of the Sun.

STS-49, May 7-16, 1992, was the maiden flight of the new Space Shuttle Endeavour. The STS-49 crew 

successfully completed four EVAs (space walks), three rendezvous, and a variety of secondary objectives. 

Akers was one of a three-member EVA team who successfully captured and repaired the stranded 

INTELSAT (International Telecommunications Satellite). This was the first and only 3-person EVA and 

the longest EVA (8.5 hours) in history at the time. Akers also performed a second EVA on this flight to 

evaluate Space Station Freedom construction techniques.

On STS-61, December 2-13, 1993, Akers again served as an EVA crew member. During the 11-day 

mission, the crew captured the Hubble Space Telescope and restored it to full capacity through a record 

five space walks by four astronauts. Akers performed two of these bringing his total EVA time to 29 

hours and 40 minutes.

STS-79, September 16-26, 1996, was the fourth Shuttle mission to rendezvous with the Russian Space 

Station Mir. Akers was the flight engineer and responsible for the transfer of over 3.5 tons of supplies to 

and from the Mir. This mission also marked the first exchange of U.S. astronauts on Mir - leaving John 

Blaha and returning Shannon Lucid home after her record six month stay in space.

This is the only version available from NASA. Updates must be sought direct from the above named individual.