Susan Helms Photo Credit/NASA Photo
U. S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Susan Helms and U. S. Air Force Col. (Ret) Karol J. Bobko will be inducted in to the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Fla., the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation announced.
Induction ceremonies are planned for May 7 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
The two shuttle-era astronauts will join 77 of their colleagues already enshrined in the Hall for their contributions to U. S. space exploration.
Helms, a Charlotte, N. C. native, was selected by NASA for astronaut training in 1990. She flew five times over a 12-year period with NASA, including a 163-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Helms shares the record for the world’s longest spacewalk, 8 hours, 56 minutes, while carrying out assembly activities outside the station.
During four shuttle flights, Helms participated in the launching of a NASA communications satellite, studies of the Earth’s atmosphere as well as a Spacelab mission that paved the way for science activities aboard the space station.
Helms remains on active duty for the Air Force, assigned to the U. S. Strategic Command.
Bobko, a New York City native, joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 1969. Over a 19-year NASA career, he piloted and commanded three shuttle missions in 1983 and 1985. Bobko furnished ground support for the Skylab space station and the 1975 linkup between U. S. Apollo astronauts and a crew of Soviet Soyuz cosmonauts.
Karol Bobko Photo Credit/NASA photo
As a test pilot, he supported approach and landing tests prior to the first shuttle mission landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Bobko served as the pilot on the inaugural flight of Shuttle Challenger in 1983. He commanded the first flight of Shuttle Atlantis in 1985, a classified mission for the Department of Defense.
Upon his departure from NASA, Bobko became an aerospace executive.