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After-Hours Event

Kennedy Under the Stars

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

$65 (plus tax) for all ages.

SatSaturdayAugust 30
  • 6:30pm
LED robots outside at night during Kennedy under the stars

Kennedy Under the Stars returns on August 30, 2025 at 6:30pm for a celestial after-hours experience at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex! We are turning back the clock 25 years for some Y2K nostalgia.  

Join us for: 

  • Glow-in-the-Dark Retro Fun: Dance the night away at NASA Central’s techno glow party, enjoy early 2000s hits at Gateway, or pop by the Rocket Garden for dance-offs and cosmic prizes  
  • Stellar Costume Contest*: From aliens to astronauts, it’s time to show off! 
  • Cosmic Glow Mini Golf: Grab a putter and enter a glowing miniature world in the Rocket Garden  
  • Astronaut Meet-and-Greets: Meet veteran NASA astronauts Ellen Ochoa and Mike Foreman and hear real stories from space 
  • Starry Night Learning: Explore the night sky with Florida Tech’s Ortega Observatory team and telescopes  
  • STEAM cart: Enjoy hands-on learning with our Gateway STEAM team  
  • Live Performers: Enjoy street performers throughout the park  
  • Special themed food and drinks: Including a specialty cocktail for adults  

Many of the visitor complex’s top attractions will remain open late, so you will have extra time to explore. 

 Attractions Open to Guests: 

  • Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® 
  • Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex® and Spaceport KSC®*
  • HYPERDECK VR (with an on-site reservation)**
  • Planet Play 
  • Journey To Mars 
  • Space Shuttle Atlantis® and the Shuttle Launch Experience®* 
  • Space Shop

 

*Must be at least 44 inches tall to ride
**Must be at least 46 inches to to play

Tickets are $65 and include parking. Food, beverages, and retail will be available for purchase. Annual Pass holders enjoy a 30% discount on all food, beverage, and retail purchases at the Space Shop during the event.

Party Like it’s 1999!
   

*Space-themed costumes are encouraged for both children and adults! (Please note: no masks, face coverings, or weapons are allowed.) 

 

This event will be held rain or shine. Annual Passholders receive a 10% discount on tickets by calling the call center at 1.855.433.4210.

Under the Stars Astronauts

Headshot of Ellen Ochoa in an orange flight suit, holding her flight helmet and gloves. In the background is the U.S. flag and a model of the space shuttle.

Ellen Ochoa

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Discovery (STS-56)

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-66)

  • Mission Specialist and Flight Engineer, space shuttle Discovery (STS-96)

  • Mission Specialist and Flight Engineer, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-110)

Ellen Ochoa made history as both the first Hispanic woman in space and the first female director of Johnson Space Center. 

 Ellen Ochoa made history in 1993 when she became the first Hispanic woman to travel to space, flying aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She went on to complete four spaceflights, logging nearly 1,000 hours in orbit. She holds degrees in physics and electrical engineering from San Diego State University and Stanford University. 

 From 2013 to 2018, Ochoa served as director of Johnson Space Center, where she led major initiatives, including Orion’s first flight test. Her legacy is honored through numerous awards and two schools named after her, inspiring future generations in science, technology, and space exploration.

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Mike Foreman headshot

Mike Foreman

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Endeavor (STS-123)

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Atlantis (STS-129)

Captain Mike Foreman is a retired Naval Aviator and NASA astronaut with over 637 hours in space who contributed significantly to the construction of the International Space Station.

Captain Mike Foreman, a retired Naval Aviator and Navy Test Pilot School graduate, boasts over 7,500 flight hours in more than 50 aircraft types. Selected for NASA’s astronaut program in 1998, he logged over 637 hours in space during two shuttle missions, STS-123 and STS-129, performing five spacewalks to help build the International Space Station. After 17 years at NASA, he joined Venturi Outcomes, LLC. as a consultant and now serves as the mayor of Friendswood, Texas.

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