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Tour

Fly With An Astronaut

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

FriFridayJune 20
SatSaturdayJune 21
SunSundayJune 22
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Fly With An Astronaut Experience

Join a veteran NASA astronaut on their journey in what it took for them to become an astronaut and let them be your guide behind the gates of Kennedy Space Center.

A catered lunch will be provided back at the main visitor complex where your astronaut guide will reflect on their personal accounts and experiences followed by a question and answer session with the group. You will also receive a special pin before moving on to the next part of your experience.

Next, you will enter Space Shuttle Atlantis® for a guided tour and a private viewing of the pre-shows The Flight and Coming Home. Then, board the Shuttle Launch Experience® to feel what it’s like to launch into space on a shuttle traveling 17,500 mph, accompanied by a veteran NASA astronaut!

At the end of the tour, approximately 2:15 PM, continue on to a waiting bus to tour the Apollo/Saturn V Center on your own.

To learn more about this exciting experience, please click here.

Astronaut Tour Guide

Astronaut Bruce Melnick in blue flight suit standing with arms crossed in front of space shuttle Atlantis

Bruce Melnick

  • Pilot, U.S. Coast Guard

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Discovery (STS-41)

  • Mission Specialist, space shuttle Endeavor (STS-49)

  • Director of Operational Excellence, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

The U.S. Coast Guard’s first astronaut, Bruce Melnick has earned numerous military and NASA honors for his achievements on Earth and in space, including the first-ever three-person spacewalk.

Bruce Melnick is a veteran astronaut who spent over 300 hours in space and orbited Earth 207 times. During STS-41 aboard Discovery, he helped deploy the Ulysses satellite, and on STS-49, he participated in the dramatic recovery and re-

boost of the Intelsat VI satellite with the first-ever three-person spacewalk. For his service, Melnick earned several prestigious awards, including two Department of Defense Superior Service Medals, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and two NASA Space Flight Medals.

Before joining NASA, Melnick was a decorated U.S. Coast Guard helicopter pilot, responsible for test flights and rescue missions. He received the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Heroism Award and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

After retiring from NASA, Melnick held leadership roles with Lockheed Martin, United Space Alliance, and Boeing, ultimately retiring as Vice President of Boeing’s Space Coast Operations. He also served as the Director of Operational Excellence at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, enhancing the visitor experience and sharing his space expertise with the public.

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Fly With An Astronaut includes a one-day admission ticket in the pricing. There is no need to purchase a separate admission ticket.