ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — The New Mexico Museum of Space History will celebrate its 50th anniversary next month with a gala and induction ceremony honoring pioneering figures in space exploration and science.
The event is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2026, at the Tays Special Events Center on the campus of New Mexico State University Alamogordo.
As part of the celebration, several individuals and groups will be inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame, including:
- Dolores “Dee” O’Hara, NASA’s first nurse to astronauts and their families
- Michel Mayor, the Swiss astrophysicist credited with the first discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star
- Sen. Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly, twin astronauts known for participating in NASA’s landmark Twins Study
- Katherine Johnson, the mathematician whose contributions to the U.S. space program were highlighted in the film Hidden Figures
- The Mercury 13, a group of women who successfully completed astronaut testing but were never permitted to become astronauts
Organizers say O’Hara will attend the ceremony in person to accept her honor and will be accompanied by several children of astronauts she cared for during her NASA career.
Representing other inductees at the event will be Michael Moore, grandson of Katherine Johnson, and New Mexico author Loretta Hall, who will accept the award on behalf of the Mercury 13.
Officials say Mark and Scott Kelly are unable to attend but will provide recorded acceptance messages. Michel Mayor is also expected to submit a video acceptance due to health concerns.
The ceremony marks a major milestone for the museum, which has spent five decades preserving and sharing the history of space exploration while recognizing individuals whose work helped advance humanity’s understanding of the universe.
