NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick D. Gregory is congratulated by former NASA astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein at his induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick D. Gregory (left) is congratulated by former NASA astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein at his induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Gregory was the first African-American to command a space mission. Also chosen for this honor in 2004 are Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission; Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia's Mir space station; and the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. To be eligible for induction, an individual must have been a U.S. citizen, a NASA astronaut, and out of the active astronaut corps at least five years. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs.