Astronaut Appearances

NASA selects astronauts from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds, from scientists to pilots. From the thousands of applications received, only a few are chosen to be a member of the elite NASA Astronaut Corps. Each day at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visitors get the rare opportunity to meet a veteran NASA astronaut.

Meet the Astronaut of the Day at any of the following opportunities.  See the Daily Schedule for the times for each when you arrive.

• The daily Astronaut Encounter briefings allow time for a presentation from the astronaut and a question-and-answer session, so be prepared to ask him or her what you have always wanted to know.
• Visitors can also get an astronaut’s autograph at The Space Shop and Shuttle Express at various times during the day.
• During the all-new Chat With An Astronaut, enjoy a sampling of food and beverages while having a group conversation with the Astronaut of the Day about what it is really like to live and work in space. This new add-on enhancement requires daily admission.

Astronaut Bio:

• From Broadview Heights, Ohio.
  
• Holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Notre Dame University
  
• Commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force in 1984.
  
• Graduated from the United States Air Force Test Pilot School in 1994.
  
• Has logged more than 3,000 hours of flight time in such aircraft as the F-111, the B-2 and the F-15.
  
• Selected by NASA in 2000.
• Has flown on two Shuttle flights:
  • STS-125 (2009), a servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
    
  • STS-132 (2010); an assembly flight to the International Space Station.