The inductees – the Mercury 13, Michel Mayor, Mark Kelly, Scott Kelly, Creola Katherine Johnson, and Dolores “Dee” O’Hara – were selected from 45 nominees reviewed by the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation (ISHFF) Induction Committee and confirmed by the Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History.
Sources: U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range (via Facebook); New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Photos: Courtesy
Cover Photo Caption: Members of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLATs, also known as the “Mercury 13”), these seven women who once aspired to fly into space stand outside Launch Pad 39B near the Space Shuttle Discovery in this photograph from 1995. The so-called Mercury 13 was a group of women who trained to become astronauts for America’s first human spaceflight program in the early 1960s.
Alamogordo, N.M.– Five trailblazers in space exploration and science will be inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame during the New Mexico Museum of Space History’s 50th Anniversary Gala on Oct. 3, 2026.
The inductees – the Mercury 13, Michel Mayor, Mark Kelly, Scott Kelly, Creola Katherine Johnson, and Dolores “Dee” O’Hara – were selected from 45 nominees reviewed by the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation (ISHFF) Induction Committee and confirmed by the Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History.
“As we celebrate both our nation’s 250th anniversary and the Museum’s 50th, this year’s induction highlights New Mexico’s unique and enduring role in advancing the space program,” said Museum Executive Director Karen Kincaid Brady. “The International Space Hall of Fame honors those who have dedicated their lives to exploring and understanding our universe, and we are thrilled to recognize this exceptional group during such a milestone year.”
The Mercury 13 were a group of accomplished women pilots who completed the same medical tests as male astronaut candidates in the early 1960s, paving the way for future generations of women in spaceflight.
Michel Mayor, a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist from Switzerland, co‑discovered the first confirmed exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star, fundamentally expanding our understanding of planetary systems.
Mark and Scott Kelly, NASA’s identical‑twin astronauts, played a central role in NASA’s Twins Study, which produced groundbreaking scientific insights into how long-duration spaceflight affects the human body.
Katherine Johnson, a celebrated NASA mathematician, calculated the trajectories that enabled Project Mercury, Apollo missions, and early Space Shuttle flights.
Dolores “Dee” O’Hara, the first nurse assigned to America’s astronauts, supported every crewed mission from Mercury through Apollo and Skylab, laying the foundation for modern aerospace medicine.
ISHFF Board Member Joan Griggs noted the challenge of selecting only five inductees from a highly competitive slate, while ISHFF Foundation Chairman Cliff Hudson highlighted the enduring partnership between the Foundation and the Museum since its opening in 1976.
ALAMOGORDO, NM– The New Mexico Museum of Space History’s next Launch Pad Lecture will feature distinguished astronaut Col. Andrew R. Morgan, M.D. (U.S. Army), the Senior Commander of White Sands Missile Range. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026.
Morgan will present “A Soldier’s Journey to Space” offering insights into his leadership career that spans military medicine, special operations, and human spaceflight.
PHOTO DATE: March 16, 2018 | LOCATION: Building 8, Room 183 – Photo Studio | SUBJECT: Official NASA Astronaut Portrait in EMU – Expedition 57/58 Crew Member Drew Morgan – PROOFS ONLY | PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel
A 1998 graduate of West Point and a 2002 graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Morgan served aboard the International Space Station from July 2019 to April 2020 on Expeditions 60, 61, and 62. During this mission, he performed seven spacewalks, a record for a single spaceflight. Before his selection as a NASA astronaut in 2013, he served as an emergency physician with U.S. Army Special Operations units, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. His career also includes serving as the Army Senior Astronaut and Detachment Commander at the Johnson Space Center and commanding the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Since June 2025, he has served as the Senior Commander of White Sands Missile Range.
The Colonel’s military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal. His NASA honors include the Distinguished Service Medal and the Space Exploration Medal. Morgan and his wife, Stacey, have been married for 25 years and have four children.
“We are honored to host Col. Morgan for May’s Launch Pad Lecture as an exciting start to Astronaut Week,” said Karen Kinkaid Brady, Executive Director of the New Mexico Museum of Space History. “His knowledge and commitment to the space program are unsurpassed.”
The lecture will take place on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium, located at 3198 State Route 2001, Alamogordo, NM. Admission is free. Guests will enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts, courtesy of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.
The Launch Pad Lecture series, held on the first Friday of each month, highlights notable figures and topics from space science, exploration, and history. The International Space Hall of Fame Foundation’s support makes this program possible.
You must be logged in to post a comment.