Created By The Mercury 7 Astronauts
In the 1980s, the six surviving Mercury 7 astronauts conceived of a place where space travelers could be remembered — much like baseball players and other sports figures. Their dream was realized in 1990 when the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in Titusville, Florida, outside a gate to the Kennedy Space Center. The Astronaut Hall of Fame is now part of the KSC Visitor Complex (KSCVC), which is operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. Under an agreement with KSCVC, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) serves as a consultant in the operation of the Hall. ASF's duties include supervising the selection, by an outside committee, of astronauts for enshrinement in the Astronaut Hall of Fame, obtaining their personal artifacts for display in the museum, and participating in their induction ceremonies — and working with KSCVC and NASA on special events. In return, KSCVC contributes to the ASF's scholarship program. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame tells in a unique way the history of human space flight and features the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia.
