Above: Three NASA astronauts present Capt. Matthew Klunder, Commandant of Midshipmen, with a commemorative photo while visiting the Academy Jan. 12. U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Patrick Green.

Marine Col. Charles Hobaugh (USNA ’84), Navy Capt. Barry Wilmore and retired Capt. Michael Foreman (USNA ’79) attended noon meal at King Hall where they presented the Academy with a Class of 1979 flag and a copy of Shipmate magazine they had taken into space, a signed plaque with photos from the voyage and a portrait of the crew at the International Space Station.

The astronauts then headed to Alumni Hall to describe their last mission to an audience of Midshipmen, faculty and staff. The accompanying video covered all aspects of the mission, from pre-launch to landing.

The 11-day flight took the three astronauts, along with three other crew members, to the International Space Station on board the shuttle Atlantis. The purpose of the mission was to restock the station and conduct research.

The mission included three space walks and the installation of two platforms on the station’s ‘‘backbone.” The platforms holds equipment that is vital to sustaining continued operations on the space station and that can only be transported via the shuttle.

Hobaugh, mission commander for the shuttle crew, concluded the presentation by encouraging the Midshipmen to work hard and push themselves.

‘‘All it takes is effort. The time to dedicate yourself to doing your best is right now. You’re about to embark on incredible careers. The sky’s the limit – not only that, the universe and beyond,” he said. ‘‘I never thought I’d be an astronaut. If you enjoy what you do and you give 100 percent, there’s no telling where you’ll go.”