Thomas Dale Akers spent over 800 hours in orbit across four shuttle missions, performing critical satellite repairs and space station rendezvous. Transitioning from a high school principal in rural Missouri to a veteran of the United States Air Force and NASA, his career bridges the gap between mechanical engineering, military flight testing, and complex extra-vehicular activities.
Academic Foundation and Military Ascent
Born in 1951 in St. Louis, Akers grew up in Eminence, Missouri, where he graduated as valedictorian of his 1969 class. He earned both B.S. and M.S. degrees in applied mathematics from the University of Missouri-Rolla by 1975. Following a brief tenure as a high school principal, he joined the Air Force in 1979. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1983, accumulating over 2,500 flight hours across 25 different aircraft types.
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Selected for the astronaut program in 1987, Akers served as a mission specialist on four shuttle flights. His 1990 debut on STS-41 involved deploying the Ulysses solar probe. During the 1992 STS-49 mission, he participated in the first three-person spacewalk in history to recover the Intelsat VI-F3 satellite. In 1993, his crew performed the primary servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope. His final flight occurred in 1996 on STS-79, facilitating the first exchange of American personnel at the Russian Mir space station.
Educational Leadership and Retirement
Akers retired from NASA in 1997 and from the Air Force in 1999 as a colonel. He joined the faculty of the Missouri University of Science and Technology, teaching mathematics until his 2010 retirement. Throughout this period, he received multiple teaching awards, including the 2004 Missouri Governors Teaching Award. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2026.
Fast facts
- Born: 1951, St. Louis
- Military Rank: Colonel
- Education: University of Missouri-Rolla
- Astronaut Selection: 1987
- Total Space Flight Time: Over 800 hours
- Total EVA Time: Over 29 hours
- Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction: May 2026
Questions readers ask
What was the primary achievement of his 1992 mission?
Akers participated in the first three-person spacewalk in history to successfully capture and repair the Intelsat VI-F3 satellite.
Did he appear on television outside of space news?
Yes, in 1994, he appeared as himself alongside his STS-61 crew on the sitcom Home Improvement.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Educated at U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Worked as military officer and astronaut
