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:Dr. Anna Fisher was selected as an astronaut by NASA in January 1978 as one of the first six female astronauts. Dr. Fisher is also a chemist and a medical doctor specializing in emergency medicine. Formerly married to fellow astronaut Bill Fisher, Dr. Fisher is the mother of two children and in 1984 she became the first mother to travel in space. Over the course of her NASA career, she was involved in the Space Shuttle Program, the International Space Station and the Orion capsule that is being developed for NASA’s future Space launch System.

From STS-5 through STS-7, Fisher was assigned as a crew representative to support space shuttle integrated testing and payload testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Dr. Fisher was a mission specialist on STS-51A Discovery in 1984. During the mission, the crew deployed two satellites and served as the first space salvage mission, retrieving two satellites for return to Earth. With the completion of her first flight, Fisher logged 192 hours in space.

Dr. Fisher was assigned as a mission specialist on STS-61H before the Challenger accident and then worked as the deputy of the Mission Development branch of the Astronaut Office during the hiatus of the Space Shuttle Program. From 1989 through 1995, Fisher was on leave of absence from the Astronaut Office to raise her family. From 1996 through 2002, during the early phase of building the International Space Station (ISS), Dr. Fisher was the chief of the Space Station branch. From January 2011 through August 2013, she served as an ISS Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) working in the Mission Control Center. Currently, Dr. Fisher is a management astronaut, working on display development for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and supports European payloads for the ISS Integration branch.