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Astronaut Appearance

Meet Astronaut John D. Bartoe

Universe Theater

WedWednesdayMay 7
ThuThursdayMay 8
FriFridayMay 9
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Astronaut John Bartoe in blue flight suit in front of the American flag and next to a model of the space shuttle
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Get the rare opportunity to meet a veteran NASA astronaut every day at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Meet the Astronaut of the Day at any of the following opportunities:  

  • Astronaut Encounter – During these presentations, hear from the Astronaut of the Day about his or her unique experience living and working in space. Have your questions ready after the presentation. Astronaut Encounter is included with admission. 
  • Chat With An Astronaut – Enjoy a sampling of food and beverages while having a small-group conversation with the Astronaut of the Day about what it is really like to live and work in space. Chat With An Astronaut can be purchased in addition to admission. 
  • Autograph signings – get the astronaut’s autograph at The Space Shop and Shuttle Express at various times during the day. 

 See the Daily Schedule for the times for each when you arrive.

Learn more about this Astronaut of the Day below.

Astronaut John Bartoe in blue flight suit in front of the American flag and next to a model of the space shuttle

John-David Francis Bartoe

As previous Chief Scientist and Research Manager for the International Space Station, as well as Payload Specialist on space shuttle Challenger, astrophysicist Dr. John-David Bartoe has made numerous discoveries in solar physics on and off Earth.

 

Before Dr. Bartoe’s tenure at NASA, he was a Supervisory Astrophysicist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C., publishing over 160 papers on solar physics. In 1985, he flew on space shuttle Challenger STS-51-F as a civilian Navy Payload Specialist. During this time, he acted as lead operator on eight telescopes to study the Sun, stars, and galaxies and was co-investigator on two studies of the sun’s outer layers.

Post-retirement, Dr. Bartoe has been incredibly active in human space outreach, lecturing at educational venues like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and Space Center Houston. Currently, he serves as an Officer of the Association of Space Explorers, a professional organization comprised of 400 astronauts from 37 countries.

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