Danville native Joe Tanner, along with Tom Akers, became the latest to be inducted into the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Tanner began his work with NASA by training astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston starting in 1984. It was ten years later that he blasted into space on the first of his four missions.
Tanner is planning to come back to Danville later this summer, and was asked at a news conference over the weekend whether it gets emotional returning to his hometown…
{AUDIO: “Yow, it can be, and I’m going for the 200th anniversary of Vermilion County – a celebration sponsored by the County Museum. (I’m) doing a presentation at the high school on Saturday (August) the 8th. And, once again, I go back there all the time – a couple times a year. They recognize me at the Custard Cup – I know the owner. Well, I gave him a picture. And then we’ve got the Bresee Café – Bar and Grill, I mean, off of Vermilion Street. My picture’s there. – But normally, I just don’t wear it. It’s not who I am – it’s what I did.”]
Tanner added he really does not think much about the part of his life when he was an astronaut…
{AUDIO: “Unless somebody reminds me, or I’m giving a presentation to kids or the local area, I don’t think about it on a daily basis that I ever did that. Seeing a video like that – first of all, that guy is young. And he’s got a dark mustache. But it all comes back, and I loved the twenty-four years I was at NASA. It brings me back to it, and it’s really fond memories.”}
(Joe Tanner (in middle) is accompanied by former astronaut Tom Akers (on right) and Kenny Salomon (on left).
Tanner was asked if he thinks NASA will be able to reach its goal of building an Artemis Moon Base by late 2028….
{AUDIO: “We have a really steep hill to climb to get everything certified. We don’t have a lander. We don’t have a suit. We’ve got a vehicle now – recently proven. But there’s a lot that needs to happen to make 2028. Can they do it? Well, historically we’ve never done it. Well, Apollo 11 landed within a decade like President Kennedy promised. Every other milestone we’ve missed, but I’m hopeful.”}
(Tanner sits on stage at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as he is introduced to be inducted into the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.)
Tanner is a 1968 graduate of Danville High School and received a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Illinois. He plans to return to Danville in August for some presentations as part of the observance of Vermilion County’s 200th birthday.
Tanner and former NASA astronaut Tom Akers became the 112th and 113th persons to be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
[The story above is by Bill Pickett. Photo and audio credit goes to
Tonya Salomon of Central Illinois Multimedia Group and NASA.]
