The Houston Hall of Fame showcase for veteran NASA astronaut and moonwalker John Young, a Houston resident for 40 years, will be unveiled by Mayor Lee P. Brown in a ceremony to formally dedicate the Hall of Fame at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, in the George Bush Grand Ballroom of the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Young, the 2002 Houston Hall of Fame honoree, was inducted in September. The Houston Hall of Fame honors individuals who have achieved unmatched excellence in the arts, athletics, business, entertainment, law, medicine and public service. Honorees were either born in Houston or called the city home during a time of their greatest achievements. During the Oct. 18 ceremony, Young's Hall of Fame showcase, which includes a portrait, plaque and personal artifact, will be unveiled.

"John Young is a hero among heroes. His contributions have been instrumental in expanding human discovery from a time when the very ability to fly in space was questioned to enabling today's continuous presence in space," Brown said.

Now serving as an associate director of the Johnson Space Center, Young's achievements in space are unequaled in history. He was the first person to fly in space six times and is the first person to have been launched into space seven times -- six from Earth and once from the Moon. He has flown to the Moon twice and landed on it once. He flew NASA's first crewed Gemini mission and he commanded the first Space Shuttle flight. He is the only astronaut to have flown aboard four different space vehicles. In his current capacity, he is instrumental in ensuring the safety and success of every space flight.

Young came to the Johnson Space Center when he was selected as an astronaut in 1962.

"I have always been proud to call Houston home," Young said. "The can do spirit of this city, this country and the people at the Johnson Space Center are what make human space exploration possible. In the future, I believe people will continue to go farther, pushing the boundaries of where we have been and what we know, and it will be that spirit of exploration, still alive and well in JSC and Houston, that will carry them."

Media interested in attending the Hall of Fame induction should contact the office of Houston Mayor Lee Brown, (713) 247-2024.

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