CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (March 2015) – KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – Some of the names are embedded in the American psyche like few other modern-day figures:  Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Sally Ride. Along with more than 85 other space pioneers, they have earned their way into American history by daring to dream big, working with determination and embracing the unknown in the line of duty. Their stories, from manned space programs Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle, are accessible to the world at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, part of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Equal parts illumination and exhilaration, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame shares the human story behind space travel in a heretofore-unprecedented fashion, with the largest collection of astronaut artifacts and mementos ever assembled.  Among the thousands of artifacts donated from astronauts' personal collections:  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, and Alan Shepard's MR 3 umbilical plug, his last physical link to Earth during the first U.S. manned spaceflight aboard Freedom 7.  Also on display are astronaut journals and recordings of countdowns to be heard. Complementing this expansive collection is the Mercury Sigma 7 capsule flown by Wally Schirra in 1962.

Honoring the latest chapter in America's manned space program is Space Shuttle: The Astronaut Experiences. Through the astronauts' testimonials, unique personal experiences and more than 60 authentic artifacts, the space shuttle exhibit creates a personal connection with visitors, bringing to life the enduring stories of the space shuttle men and women honored in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Also featured at the Hall of Fame is Science On a Sphere, a global display that takes visitors on a three-dimensional journey around the world and throughout the solar system via dynamic, animated images of the atmosphere, oceans and planets. The sphere provides guests with a representation of a view of the Earth and planets as if they were viewed from space.

About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex brings to life the epic story of the U.S. space program, offering a full day or more of fun and educational activities, including the Kennedy Space Center Tour featuring the Apollo/Saturn V Center with an actual Saturn V moon rocket, the new Space Shuttle AtlantisSM, Shuttle Launch Experience®, IMAX® Hubble 3D and Journey to Space films, Astronaut Encounter,Exploration Space®: Explorers Wanted, Rocket Garden and many other interactive exhibits. Admission also includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia, which opens daily at noon and closing times vary by season. Only 45 minutes from Orlando, Fla., Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens daily at 9 a.m. with closing times varying by season.  Admission is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers annual passes starting at $75 + tax for adults and $60 + 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 (ASF) participated in creating a venue where space travelers could be remembered – the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, which opened in 1990. Today, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation serves as a consultant for the Hall of Fame, which includes conducting the selection process of astronauts for enshrinement by an outside committee. The Foundation's mission is to aid the U.S. in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to extraordinary college students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in these fields and facilitate programs to educate the public about the impact and importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the United States. ASF has awarded over $3.5 million to outstanding Astronaut Scholars nationwide. More than 100 astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs participate in this educational endeavor. For more information, call 321-459-4872 or visit www.AstronautScholarship.org.

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Media Contacts:

Andrea Farmer, 321-449-4318, afarmer@delawarenorth.com

Nancy Glasgow, 407-375-2433, nancy@bitner.com