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 BIOVeteran astronaut Mike Foreman was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998 and flew on two space shuttle missions, accumulating more than 26 days in space. He also conducted five spacewalks, spending 32 hours and 19 minutes outside performing space station assembly tasks. He flew as a mission specialist for STS-123 on space shuttle Endeavour in March 2008. The mission delivered the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module and the Canadian-built Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, to the station. His next mission was STS-129 on space shuttle Atlantis in November 2009. The mission delivered two logistics carriers and approximately 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for station power systems. A former captain in the U.S. Navy, he holds engineering degrees from the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

When not flying in space, Foreman held a variety of technical assignments in the Astronaut Office. He also served as chief of External Programs at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland from June 2010 through May 2011. He most recently served as the Safety Branch chief in the Astronaut Office. There, he also supported the Exploration Branch, working on the Commercial Crew Development Program. Foreman retired from NASA in 2015 to join Venturi Outcomes.