Given the question: What key details about thomas akers  can be extracted from the following bio?  Bio: thomas dale akers -lrb- born may 20 , 1951 -rrb- is an american former astronaut in nasa 's space shuttle program .
The answer is:
- mission is sts-41 , sts-49 , sts-61 , sts-79- type is nasa astronaut- insignia is 30px30px30px30px- status is retired- selection is 1987 nasa group- birth date is 20 may 1951- name is thomas dale akers- time is 33d 22h 44m- nationality is american- image is thomas d akers.jpg- birth place is st. louis , missouri- rank is colonel , usaf- occupation is flight test engineer