West Lafayette, Indiana - An astronaut reunion took place during October’s Homecoming festivities to celebrate the end of Purdue’s sesquicentennial, “150 Years of Giant Leaps.”
Purdue upholds the Cradle of Astronauts tradition, graduating 25 astronauts, including the first and most recent people to walk on the moon. Twelve astronauts who have flown with NASA and one commercial astronaut were expected at the reunion.

Astronauts in attendance:
• Roy D. Bridges Jr.
• Mark N. Brown
• Andrew J. Feustel
• Michael J. McCulley
• Beth S. Moses
• Loral O’Hara
• Gary E. Payton
• Mark L. Polansky
• Jerry L. Ross
• Loren J. Shriver
• Scott D. Tingle
• Charles D. Walker
• Mary Ellen Weber