Event Details
Payload Blog
Meet Astronaut Julie Payette
May 07, 2023 - May 09, 2023 Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexNASA 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:
- Born: Montreal, Quebec
- Education: International Baccalaureate from United World College of the Atlantic; Class of 1982
- Education: BSc of Engineering from McGill University; Cum Laude; Class of 1986
- Education: MSc of Applied Science - Computer Engineering from University of Toronto; Class of 1990
- Fluent in French and English; can converse in Spanish, Italian, Russian, and German
- Member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, International Academy of Astronautics, and Board of Canada's "Own the Podium" Olympic High Performance Program.
- Canadian Space Agency (CSA) 1992; Completed astronaut training in Houston, Texas in 1998.