Mission Viejo Veteran Astronaut Welcomed Into Hall Of Fame

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A veteran astronaut from Mission Viejo was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame class of 2021 Saturday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

Michael Lopez-Alegria was honored for demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASA's mission of exploration and discovery, the City of Mission Viejo wrote in a news release.

Lopez-Alegria was honored among two other inductees. He was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1992, serving as a mission specialist for three flights and a commander of Expedition 14 aboard the space station from Sept. 2006 to April 2007. According to the city, Lopez-Alegria logged more than 257 days in space and performed 10 spacewalks, totaling 67 hours and 40 minutes.

“These three pioneers propelled upward and explored the heavens,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said of Lopez-Alegria and fellow veteran astronauts Pam Melroy and Scott Kelly. “They broke barriers and set records. They pushed the boundaries of humanity's reach.”

Lopez-Alegria grew up in Mission Viejo and went to La Paz Intermediate School and Mission Viejo High School, the city said in a statement. In 2003, Lopez-Alegria was named the City's Hometown Hero, and four years later, he served as the Grand Marshall of the Walk Against Drugs.

"His impact on this community, the world and beyond is significant," the city said in a statement.