KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (May 5, 2010) – The public is invited to celebrate the induction of the ninth group of space shuttle astronauts into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Veteran space shuttle astronauts Guion Bluford, Jr., Kenneth Bowersox, Frank Culbertson, Jr., and Kathryn Thornton will join the ranks of legendary space pioneers like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Sally Ride. The public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will be held Saturday, June 5 at 2:30 p.m. Jon Cryer, Emmy Award winning star of "Two and a Half Men,” will host the Induction ceremony.
Each inductee brings their own chapter to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The addition of Bluford, the first African American to fly in space; Bowersox, pilot of the first maintenance mission to restore the crippled Hubble Space Telescope; Culbertson, commander of the first space shuttle night landing at Kennedy Space Center; and Thornton, a mission specialist during the first and only three-person spacewalk, will bring the number of space explorers enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 77. More than 30 astronauts have accepted invitations to attend the ceremony including Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke, Scott Carpenter, Al Worden and Walt Cunningham.
“It is a thrill to be able to honor the men and women who gave us a gift that grows more precious and rare with each passing day: inspiration,” said Jon Cryer, this year’s host of the Induction ceremony. Cryer gained fame with his iconic performance as an endearing misfit in the film “Pretty in Pink,” and is an Emmy Award winning actor. He is most recently known for his role in TV’s #1 comedy series “Two and a Half Men.”
As part of the weekend celebration, special Induction weekend ticket packages are available for $70 plus tax for adults and $50 plus tax for children 3-11 years and include the following:
- Special guided Kennedy Space Center bus tour with a Hall of Fame astronaut
- Reserved seating at the Induction Ceremony
- Commemorative poster of the 2010 Inductees
- Two-day admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
The special bus tour included with the Induction ticket package will be guided by one of these distinguished Hall of Fame astronauts:
- Buzz Aldrin: Gemini 12, Apollo 11 astronaut; Hall of Fame class of 1993
- Charlie Duke: Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot; Hall of Fame class of 1997
- Jack Lousma: Skylab 3 and space shuttle astronaut; Hall of Fame class of 1997
- George “Pinky” Nelson: Three-time space shuttle astronaut; Hall of Fame class of 2009
Hall of Fame astronaut guides will be assigned at random to all tours. Autograph requests will not be honored during the tour. There are a limited number of tickets available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Viewing of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is included with regular admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Induction weekend ticket packages are available by phone at 877-313-2610 or online at www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.
The 2010 Inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials and flight directors, historians, journalists and other space authorities. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1984 to support students seeking degrees in science and technology. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction year and must be retired at least five years from NASA's astronaut corps. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, NASA-trained, commander, pilot or mission specialist and must have orbited the Earth at least once. Committee members receiving ballots evaluate not only an individual's flight accomplishments but also how he or she contributed to the success and future success of the U.S. Space Program in post-flight assignments.
About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season. The Visitor Complex is open daily except December 25 and certain launch days. Admission includes the 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 and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia. Admission is $41 + tax for adults and $31 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Commander’s Club Annual Pass is $53 + tax for adults and $43 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.
About the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation participated in creating a venue where space travelers could be remembered – the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, which opened in 1990. Since 2002, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at KSC, Inc., operators of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for NASA, has operated the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Today, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation serves as a consultant for the Hall of Fame, which includes supervising the selection of astronauts for enshrinement into the Hall. The Foundation’s mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to exceptional college students pursuing these degrees. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $3 million to deserving students nationwide. For more information, log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org or call 321-455-7015.
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