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Astronaut Appearance

Meet Astronaut Steve Swanson

Universe Theater

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Headshot of astronaut Steve Swanson in full space suit holding his helmet in front of the U.S. flag
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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.

Headshot of astronaut Steve Swanson in full space suit holding his helmet in front of the U.S. flag

Steven R. Swanson

Michael Swanson is a NASA astronaut who contributed to critical space station construction on two shuttle missions and led Expedition 40 aboard the International Space Station.

Michael Swanson’s NASA career began in 1997 as a systems engineer working on the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA), where he helped improve its navigation and control systems. In 1998, he was selected as a mission specialist and completed rigorous training in shuttle and space station systems, spacewalks, robotic arm operations, and rendezvous procedures. Over the course of his career, Swanson completed four spacewalks totaling 26 hours and 22 minutes, and logged 195 days, 15 hours, and 41 minutes in space.

His spaceflight experience includes two missions aboard the Space Shuttle, STS-117 and STS-119, which involved critical construction work on the International Space Station (ISS), including installing solar arrays and truss segments. In 2014, Swanson joined Expedition 39 aboard the International Space Station, where he spent six months performing Earth studies and biological experiments. He assumed command of the ISS for Expedition 40 before safely returning to Earth after 169 days in space, traveling nearly 72 million miles.

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