TITUSVILLE – On your way to the out after visiting the Kennedy Space Center Complex, don’t forget to leave time to visit the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Some of the names are embedded in the American psyche like few other modern-day figures: Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Sally Ride. They along with 70 other space pioneers are featured at this attraction nearby but separate from the Kennedy Space Center.
Astronaut artifacts
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame has the largest collection of astronaut artifacts on display including the Mercury Sigma 7 capsule and the Apollo 14 Command Module, Kitty Hawk. Among the thousands of artifacts donated from astronauts’ personal collections are:
- Gordon Cooper’s May 15, 1969 TV cue cards inscribed “I’m go for 22,”
- Jim Lovell’s boy scout handbook
- Gus Grissom’s Mercury 7 flight suit and helmet
- Buzz Aldrin’s high school football jersey
- Alan Shepard’s MR 3 umbilical plug, his last physical link to Earth during the first U.S. manned spaceflight aboard Freedom 7.
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame also features interactive simulators including the G-Force Trainer, which simulates the pressure of four times the force of gravity and Mission on Mars, an invigorating virtual ride across the Red Planet’s rocky terrain.
About the Hall of Fame
In 1984, the Mercury Seven Foundation was established by the six surviving members of America’s original Mercury astronauts and Mrs. Betty Grissom, widow of the seventh, to preserve the United States’ leadership role in science and technology by providing scholarships to outstanding college science and engineering students. Later, they envisioned a site, like the Baseball or Football Halls of Fame, where space travelers could be remembered. Their dream was realized with the opening in 1990 of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The Foundation broadened its membership to include astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs and changed its name in 1995 to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame was acquired by NASA and Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, which operates the Visitor Complex on NASA’s behalf, in December 2002.
About Your Visit
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame open at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season. The Visitor Complex and the Hall of Fame are open daily except December 25 and certain launch days. Admission includes the new Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Tour, 3D IMAX® space films, Astronaut Encounter, all exhibits, and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft, simulator rides, the new Space Shuttle: The Astronaut Experiences and the world’s largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia. Admission is $38 + tax for adults and $28 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Commander’s Club Annual Pass is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 321-449-4444 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.
