Students from Brevard County public high schools arrive at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Top scholars from the high schools were invited to Kennedy Space Center for a tour of facilities, lunch and a roundtable discussion with engineers and scientists at the center. The 2017-2018 Brevard Top Scholars event was hosted by the center's Education Projects and Youth Engagement office to honor the top three scholars of the graduating student class from each of Brevard County’s public high schools. The students received a personalized certificate at the end of the day.
Jose Nunez, third from left, chief of the Flight Technologies Branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, talks with students from Brevard County public high schools during a roundtable discussion at the Public Engagement Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Top scholars from the high schools were invited to Kennedy Space Center for a tour of facilities, lunch and a roundtable discussion with engineers and scientists at the center. The 2017-2018 Brevard Top Scholars event was hosted by the center's Education Projects and Youth Engagement office to honor the top three scholars of the graduating student class from each of Brevard County’s public high schools. The students received a personalized certificate at the end of the day.
Retired NASA astronaut Tom Jones talks to high school students during "Lunch with an Astronaut" at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Top scholars from Brevard County public high schools were invited to Kennedy Space Center for a tour of facilities, lunch and a roundtable discussion with engineers and scientists at the center. The 2017-2018 Brevard Top Scholars event was hosted by the center's Education Projects and Youth Engagement office to honor the top three scholars of the 2017-2018 graduating student class from each of Brevard County’s public high schools. The students received a personalized certificate at the end of the day.
Retired NASA astronaut Tom Jones is with top scholars from Brevard County public high schools in the Rocket Garden at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Top scholars from the high schools were invited to Kennedy Space Center for a tour of facilities, lunch and a roundtable discussion with engineers and scientists at the center. The 2017-2018 Brevard Top Scholars event was hosted by the center's Education Projects and Youth Engagement office to honor the top three scholars of the 2017-2018 graduating student class from each of Brevard County’s public high schools. They students received a personalized certificate at the end of the day.
Top scholars from Brevard County public high schools participate in roundtable discussions with NASA engineers and scientists at the Public Engagement Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Top scholars from the high schools were invited to Kennedy Space Center for a tour of facilities, lunch and a roundtable discussion. The 2017-2018 Brevard Top Scholars event was hosted by the center's Education Projects and Youth Engagement office to honor the top three scholars of the graduating student class from each of Brevard County’s public high schools. The students received a personalized certificate at the end of the day.
On the first day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, set-up day on May 14, college team members work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
NASA’s Day of Remembrance is marked by a memorial wreath placed before the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Jan. 28, 2021. The mirror was dedicated in 1991 to honor all astronauts who lost their lives on missions or during training. During the Day of Remembrance, NASA centers across the country honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Shawn Quinn, director of Engineering at Kennedy Space Center, addresses attendees during the 2019 KSC Honor Awards Ceremony on April 18, 2019. Held inside the IMAX Theater at the Florida spaceport’s visitor complex, the ceremony honored both civil servants and contractors for their contributions to NASA and Kennedy.
Entrance to the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is by way of a sweeping ramp designed to simulate a journey to the stars by way of the "Rocket Garden." The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana provides remarks during a wreath-laying ceremony in Florida, honoring the memory of former Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins on April 30, 2021. Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of Delaware North at Kennedy’s visitor complex, also spoke during the ceremony, held just outside of the Heroes and Legends exhibit at the visitor complex. Collins served as pilot on the three-day Gemini X mission in 1966, and he was the command module pilot for the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969, where he remained in lunar orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first people to walk on the Moon. Collins passed away on April 28, 2021, at the age of 90.
Veteran NASA astronauts James Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction on April 6, 2019.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pamela Melroy is one of three former astronauts inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHOF) on Nov. 13, 2021, during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Melroy received an official medal and became a member of the 19th class of space shuttle astronauts to be inducted. Former NASA astronaut and Hall of Famer Curt Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, inducted Melroy. The 2021 inductees were selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians, and journalists. This year’s induction brings the total number of AHOF members to 102.
Flowers placed before the Space Mirror Memorial mark NASA’s Day of Remembrance at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Jan. 28, 2021. The mirror was dedicated in 1991 to honor all astronauts who lost their lives on missions or during training. During the Day of Remembrance, NASA centers across the country honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Inside the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Sigma 7 Mercury spacecraft in this exhibit was piloted by astronaut Wally Schirra during his six-orbit mission on Oct. 3, 1962. For display purposes, it is shown here attached to a Redstone launch vehicle like the one that boosted astronauts Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom on sub-orbital flights in 1961. Schirra's capsule was actually launched by the more powerful Atlas rocket in order to reach orbit. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
On the first day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, set-up day on May 14, team members from Temple University work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
Inside the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, a statue of astronaut Alan Shepard, America's first person in space, stands just inside the doors to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. In addition to displays honoring the Americans currently enshrined in the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
Visitors participate in one of many butterfly releases held throughout the day at the Kennedy Space Center’s sustainability expo on April 11, 2019. Held at the center’s visitor complex in Florida, the expo kicked off Kennedy’s annual Earth Day celebrations. Approximately 40 exhibitors from across the nation assembled to provide information ranging from energy-saving solutions to wildlife and natural conservation.
Judges inspect the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology team’s prototype lunar robot during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Thursday, May 21, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
Mark Kelly, speaks to guests after his induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHOF) by NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, during a ceremony inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on May 6, 2023. Also inducted in the AHOF Class of 2023 was retired astronaut Roy D. Bridges Jr. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen and a NASA-trained commander, pilot, or mission specialist who has orbited the earth at least once. Including Bridges and Kelly, 107 astronauts have been inducted into the AHOF.
The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, are honored by NASA Kennedy Space Center employees and guests with a ceremony at the Kennedy Visitor Complex’s Space Mirror Memorial on Jan. 28, 2021. The date marked the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy. NASA centers throughout the country participate in the agency’s annual Day of Remembrance memorial event.
Swarmathon University Competition 2019 organizers, mentors, guest speakers and student teams gather for a group photo on June 11, 2019 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The University of New Mexico was the host for the physical competition held in May 2019. The student teams were at Kennedy to participate in a student/mentor panel, hear from speakers, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center, dine with an astronaut and receive awards during an awards ceremony. During Swarmathon University Challenge IV, students developed algorithms for robotic swarms that are robust and adaptable like the foraging strategies of ant colonies. The fourth and final Swarmathon was a combined virtual and physical competition.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Six-year-old Connor Johnson shows off space mementos presented to him by Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Robert Cabana to inspire the youngster to continue the dream he has had since the age of three of becoming an astronaut, following a ceremony in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex' Rocket Garden. From left are Connor's brother Liam, Cabana and Connor. Connor, of Denver, Colo., gained national attention for having the "right stuff" when he launched an online petition on the White House website in December 2013 to save NASA’s funding from budget cuts. One of the mementos, a piece of space history, was a bolt used to hold the International Space Station's Unity module in place in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay on the STS-88 mission, the first station assembly mission and Cabana's fourth and final spaceflight. Connor and his family were the guests of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, the concessionaire managing the visitor complex. During his visit, Connor had the opportunity to meet with astronauts, see space vehicles and witness the Robot Rocket Rally underway in the complex' Rocket Garden over the weekend. To learn more about the educational activities available daily at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Andrea Farmer, public relations manager for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex concessionaire Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, welcomes representatives of the news and social media to the complex' Rocket Garden for a ceremony honoring six-year-old Connor Johnson. During the ceremony, Connor will be presented with space mementos by NASA Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Robert Cabana to inspire the youngster to continue the dream he has had since the age of three of becoming an astronaut. Connor, of Denver, Colo., gained national attention for having the "right stuff" when he launched an online petition on the White House website in December 2013 to save NASA’s funding from budget cuts. One of the mementos, a piece of space history, was a bolt used to hold the International Space Station's Unity module in place in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay on the STS-88 mission, the first station assembly mission and Cabana's fourth and final spaceflight. Connor and his family were the guests of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, the concessionaire managing the visitor complex. During his visit, Connor had the opportunity to meet with astronauts, see space vehicles and witness the Robot Rocket Rally underway in the complex' Rocket Garden over the weekend. To learn more about the educational activities available daily at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana and guests place flowers in front of the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex during this year’s Day of Remembrance ceremony. The memorial, a 42-foot-high by 50-foot-wide granite monument, displays the names of the fallen astronauts from Apollo 1, space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as others who have lost their lives while on NASA missions or in training. Each year, Kennedy employees and guests gather with others throughout NASA to honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Veteran NASA astronauts James Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction on April 6, 2019.
The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, are honored by NASA Kennedy Space Center employees and guests with a ceremony at the Kennedy Visitor Complex’s Space Mirror Memorial on Jan. 28, 2021. The date marked the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy. NASA centers throughout the country participate in the agency’s annual Day of Remembrance memorial event.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida paid tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other astronauts who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, during the agency's Day of Remembrance on Jan. 27, 2022. Lowell Grissom, brother of fall astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom, speaks during a ceremony at the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
On the first day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, set-up day on May 14, team members from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
Veteran NASA astronauts James Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction on April 6, 2019.
Education Specialists Lynn Dotson, left, of the NASA Public Engagement Center, and Lester Morales, right, of Texas State University's NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative, explain the Rocketry Engineering Design Challenge to teachers participating in the 2017 GE Foundation High School STEM Integration Conference at the Center for Space Education at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. High school teachers from across the country took part in the week-long conference, which is designed to explore effective ways for teachers, schools and districts from across the country to integrate STEM throughout the curriculum. The conference is a partnership between GE Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association.
New Mexico Tech students prepare their robotic miner for its turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 23, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
Guests place flowers in front of the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex during this year’s Day of Remembrance ceremony. The memorial, a 42-foot-high by 50-foot-wide granite monument, displays the names of the fallen astronauts from Apollo 1, space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as others who have lost their lives while on NASA missions or in training. Each year, Kennedy employees and guests gather with others throughout NASA to honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
The Saginaw Valley State University team’s robotic miner is being measured and weighed to qualify for its turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 23, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
Roy D. Bridges Jr. is inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHOF) by Hall of Fame astronaut Dave Leestma during a ceremony inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on May 6, 2023. Also inducted into the AHOF Class of 2023 was retired astronaut Mark Kelly. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen and a NASA-trained commander, pilot, or mission specialist who has orbited the earth at least once. Including Bridges and Kelly, 107 astronauts have been inducted into the AHOF.
The audience looks on during the NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Jan. 30, 2020. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored at the annual event.
NASA’s Day of Remembrance is marked by a memorial wreath placed before the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Jan. 28, 2021. The mirror was dedicated in 1991 to honor all astronauts who lost their lives on missions or during training. During the Day of Remembrance, NASA centers across the country honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Veteran NASA astronauts James Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction on April 6, 2019.
Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, speaks during a memorial ceremony honoring former Apollo astronaut Walter Cunningham. The ceremony was held Jan. 9, 2023, at the Heroes and Legends exhibit within the Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Florida spaceport’s visitor complex. Cunningham was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 7 – the first crewed flight test of the Apollo spacecraft – where he tested maneuvers necessary for docking and lunar orbit rendezvous. He passed away Jan. 3 at the age of 90.
The last United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket joined the lineup of historic launch vehicles in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, on March 3, 2021. Workers use a crane to stack the segments of the Delta II in its display area. The Delta II rocket was a workhorse for NASA and civilian scientists, the U.S. military, and commercial clients throughout its almost 30 years of service. Since its first launch in 1989, the Delta II has launched 154 successful missions. NASA’s Launch Services Program launched the ICESat-2 spacecraft on the final Delta II launch on Sept. 15, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
A team member from the University of Maine prepares their robotic miner for its turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 26, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their semi-autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
Teachers prepare to demonstrate the projects they built for the Rocketry Engineering Design Challenge during the 2017 GE Foundation High School STEM Integration Conference at the Center for Space Education at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. High school teachers from across the country took part in the week-long conference, which is designed to explore effective ways for teachers, schools and districts from across the country to integrate STEM throughout the curriculum. The conference is a partnership between GE Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association.
The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, are honored by NASA Kennedy Space Center employees and guests with a ceremony at the Kennedy Visitor Complex’s Space Mirror Memorial on Jan. 28, 2021. The date marked the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy. NASA centers throughout the country participate in the agency’s annual Day of Remembrance memorial event.
Teachers prepare to demonstrate the projects they built for the Rocketry Engineering Design Challenge during the 2017 GE Foundation High School STEM Integration Conference at the Center for Space Education at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. High school teachers from across the country took part in the week-long conference, which is designed to explore effective ways for teachers, schools and districts from across the country to integrate STEM throughout the curriculum. The conference is a partnership between GE Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association.
Rick Abramson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, speaks to guests during the opening of the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
A memorial wreath stands before the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex during this year’s Day of Remembrance ceremony. Each year, Kennedy employees and guests gather with others throughout NASA to honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Students from Miami-Dade College at Kendall prepare their robotic miner for its turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 24, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
Inside the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, this display includes the spacesuit worn by astronaut Gus Grissom during his Mercury 4 suborbital flight of July 21, 1961. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
Former NASA astronaut David Leestma speaks after receiving his medal and induction into the 21st class of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a ceremony on June 11, 2022, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The 2022 inductees were selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians, and journalists. This year’s induction brings the total number of AHOF members to 105.
A memorial wreath placed in the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, honoring former NASA astronaut Don Peterson. As a mission specialist on STS-6 in April 1983, he participated in the first spacewalk of the Space Shuttle Program. He passed away May 27, 2018, in El Lago, Texas. He was 84.
Veteran NASA astronauts James Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction on April 6, 2019.
A Day of Remembrance 2021
Astronauts Memorial Foundation board member Karen Bassett Stevenson and daughter of Charles Bassett II, delivers remarks honoring fallen astronauts who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery during NASA’s annual Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Space Mirror Memorial at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Those remembered include the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger STS-51L, and Columbia STS-107.
Kennedy Space Center Associate Director, Technical Kelvin Manning participates in NASA’s Day of Remembrance ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Space Mirror Memorial. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored by Kennedy employees and guests at the annual memorial event.
The last United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket joined the lineup of historic launch vehicles in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, on March 3, 2021. Workers use a crane to stack the segments of the Delta II in its display area. The Delta II rocket was a workhorse for NASA and civilian scientists, the U.S. military, and commercial clients throughout its almost 30 years of service. Since its first launch in 1989, the Delta II has launched 154 successful missions. NASA’s Launch Services Program launched the ICESat-2 spacecraft on the final Delta II launch on Sept. 15, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks during this year’s Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Each year, Kennedy employees and guests gather with others throughout NASA to honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Retired NASA astronaut John Blaha talks to Swarmathon University Challenge students and their mentors during a Dine with an Astronaut event at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on June 12, 2019. Students and mentors from some of the Swarmathon teams were at Kennedy to participate in a student/mentor panel, hear from speakers, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center, dine with an astronaut and receive awards. For the challenge, university students developed algorithms for robotic swarms that are robust and adaptable like the foraging strategies of ant colonies. The fourth and final Swarmathon challenge was a combined virtual and physical competition hosted by the University of New Mexico.
The Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex honors what it takes to be a hero. In the center of this display are models of rockets that played key roles in the history of NASA's efforts to explore space. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
From left, Artemis II NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen speak to NASA employees at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. The crew returned to NASA Kennedy for their first official visit since launch of Artemis II on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, to visit with the center’s workforce and tour facilities to view progress on Artemis III prelaunch processing.
Scott Kelly is one of three former astronauts inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHOF) on Nov. 13, 2021, during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Kelly received an official medal and became a member of the 19th class of space shuttle astronauts to be inducted. The 2021 inductees were selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians, and journalists. This year’s induction brings the total number of AHOF members to 102.
Students from Purdue University prepare their robotic miner for its turn to dig in the mining pit during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 23, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Robert Cabana, left, presents a space-program memento to six-year-old Connor Johnson in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex' Rocket Garden to inspire the youngster to continue the dream he has had since the age of three of becoming an astronaut. Connor, of Denver, Colo., gained national attention for having the "right stuff" when he launched an online petition on the White House website in December 2013 to save NASA’s funding from budget cuts. One of the mementos, a piece of space history, was a bolt used to hold the International Space Station's Unity module in place in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay on the STS-88 mission, the first station assembly mission and Cabana's fourth and final spaceflight. Connor and his family were the guests of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, the concessionaire managing the visitor complex. During his visit, Connor had the opportunity to meet with astronauts, see space vehicles and witness the Robot Rocket Rally underway in the complex' Rocket Garden over the weekend. To learn more about the educational activities available daily at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper
Cameron Symonds, of New Mexico Tech, prepares his team’s prototype lunar robot for its turn during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
Veteran NASA astronauts James Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction on April 6, 2019.
Students from the University of Virginia accept an award during NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Thursday, May 21, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida paid tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other astronauts who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, during the agency's Day of Remembrance on Jan. 27, 2022. From left, Lowell Grissom, brother of Virgil “Gus” Grissom; Kathie Scobee Fulgham, daughter of Challenger Commander Francis R. Scobee; and Sheryl Chafee, daughter of Apollo 1 astronaut Roger Chafee, place a wreath in front of on-screen images of NASA astronauts who have perished in the line of duty. The ceremony was held in the Center for Space Education at Kennedy’s Visitor Complex in Florida.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida paid tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other astronauts who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, during the agency's Day of Remembrance on Jan. 27, 2022. Kennedy Deputy Director Kelvin Manning speaks during a ceremony at the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, a former space shuttle astronaut and member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame, speaks to guests during the opening of the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Seated, from the left, are former space shuttle astronaut Dan Brandenstein, chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation board of directors, and, partially visible, John Elbon, vice president and general manager of Boeing. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
A guest visits with a representative from the Engineering Directorate during NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana’s update to community leaders, business executives, partners, educators and government leaders March 29, 2019, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Cabana’s presentation covered recent accomplishments and future plans for Kennedy-led programs, including the Commercial Crew Program, Exploration Ground Systems, Launch Services Program, Exploration Research and Technology, and Center Planning and Development. After the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and visit displays from the programs and some of the commercial partners.
On the second day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, May 15, team members from the University of Tulsa work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
Kelvin Manning, at left, Kennedy Space Center’s associate director, technical, visits one of the exhibitors at the Community Leaders Update, hosted by the center on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. At right is Tassos Abadiotakis, KIAC program manager. A panel discussion was moderated by Center Director Bob Cabana during the update. Attendees included community leaders, business executives, partners, educators and government leaders. After the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and visit displays from the programs and some of the commercial partners.
On the second day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, May 15, team members from Mississippi State University work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. At far right is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pamela Melroy is one of three former astronauts inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHOF) on Nov. 13, 2021, during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Melroy received an official medal and became a member of the 19th class of space shuttle astronauts to be inducted. Former NASA astronaut and Hall of Famer Curt Brown, board chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, inducted Melroy. The 2021 inductees were selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians, and journalists. This year’s induction brings the total number of AHOF members to 102.
Students from Iowa State University College students prepare their robotic miner for its turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 23, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
From left, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-FL, and Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, R-FL, participate in the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship field hearing on July 19, 2019, in the Astronaut Memorial Foundation facility at the Florida spaceport’s visitor complex. The topic of the field hearing was “Moon Landings to Mars Exploration: The Role of Small Business Innovation in America’s Space Program.”
During the grand opening of the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the national anthem was performed by Carmen Harrell. Therrin Protze, chief operating officer of the visitor complex is seen on the right. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, are honored by NASA Kennedy Space Center employees and guests with a ceremony at the Kennedy Visitor Complex’s Space Mirror Memorial on Jan. 28, 2021. The date marked the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy. NASA centers throughout the country participate in the agency’s annual Day of Remembrance memorial event.
Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro speaks during the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame 2022 induction ceremony on June 11, 2022, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Three former NASA astronauts, David Leestma, Chris Ferguson, and Sandra Magnus, received medals and were inducted into the 21st class of the Hall of Fame. This year’s induction brings the total number of AHOF members to 105. The Class of 2022 were selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians, and journalists. During the ceremony, each of the inductees received an official medal.
Guests visit with a representative from Boeing before NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana’s update to community leaders, business executives, partners, educators and government leaders March 29, 2019, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Cabana’s presentation covered recent accomplishments and future plans for Kennedy-led programs, including the Commercial Crew Program, Exploration Ground Systems, Launch Services Program, Exploration Research and Technology, and Center Planning and Development. After the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and visit displays from the programs and some of the commercial partners.
Launch vehicles used by NASA in its history of exploring space are displayed in the "Rocket Garden" adjacent to the new Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
Students from the University of Alabama accept the Caterpillar Autonomy Award during NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Thursday, May 21, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the last United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket joins the lineup of historic launch vehicles in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, on March 23, 2021. The Delta II rocket was a workhorse for NASA and civilian scientists, the U.S. military, and commercial clients throughout its almost 30 years of service. Since its first launch in 1989, the Delta II has launched 154 successful missions. NASA’s Launch Services Program launched the ICESat-2 spacecraft on the final Delta II launch for the agency on Sept. 15, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Students from the University of North Dakota prepare their robot miner for its turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 26, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams use their semi-autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with rocks and simulated lunar soil, or regolith. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
On the first day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, set-up day on May 14, team members from the Illinois Institute of Technology work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
The Swarmathon team from the University of Houston Clearlake and San Jacinto College received the Mission to Mars award for their achievements in the NASA Swarmathon University Challenge for 2019. They are at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 12, 2019. Students and mentors from some of the Swarmathon teams were at Kennedy to participate in a student/mentor panel, hear from speakers, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center, dine with an astronaut and receive awards. During Swarmathon University Challenge IV, students developed algorithms for robotic swarms that are robust and adaptable like the foraging strategies of ant colonies. The fourth and final Swarmathon challenge was a combined virtual and physical competition.
Kelvin Manning, deputy director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to guests during the 2023 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHOF) Induction inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on May 6, 2023. Two veteran space explorers were inducted into the AHOF Class of 2023. They are Roy D. Bridges Jr. and Mark Kelly. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen and a NASA-trained commander, pilot, or mission specialist who has orbited the earth at least once. Including Bridges and Kelly, 107 astronauts have been inducted into the AHOF.
Launch vehicles used by NASA in its history of exploring space are displayed in the "Rocket Garden" adjacent to the new Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
On the first day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, set-up day on May 14, team members from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
Former CNN space correspondent John Zarrella, left, interviews Gemini and Apollo astronauts Jim Lovell, center and Tom Stafford during opening ceremonies for the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.
During this year’s Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, from left, Kennedy Associate Director Kelvin Manning, former Shuttle Launch Director Michael Leinbach, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF) Thad Altman, AMF Vice Chair Sheryl Chaffee, Kennedy Deputy Director Janet Petro, and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana stand in a moment of silence after placing a memorial wreath in front of the Space Mirror Memorial. Each year, Kennedy employees and guests gather with others throughout NASA to honor those astronauts who have fallen in the pursuit of space exploration.
Students from San Diego State College prepare their robotic miner for its second turn to dig in the mining arena during NASA’s LUNABOTICS competition on May 27, 2022, at the Center for Space Education near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 35 teams from around the U.S. have designed and built remote-controlled robots for the mining competition. Teams used their autonomous or remote-controlled robots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with lunar simulant and rocks. The objective of the challenge is to see which team’s robot can collect and deposit the most rocky regolith within a specified amount of time.
Phil Meade, at right, associate director, Spaceport Integration and Services, participates in a panel discussion during a Community Leaders Update hosted by NASA Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. At left is Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager, Exploration Ground Systems. Center Director Bob Cabana moderated a panel discussion featuring senior leaders from Exploration Ground Systems, Spaceport Integration and Services, Exploration Research and Technology Programs, Gateway Logistics Element, and Center Planning and Development. Attendees included community leaders, business executives, partners, educators and government leaders. After the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and visit displays from the programs and some of the commercial partners.
During an awards ceremony on June 12, 2019 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, mentors and volunteers from Kennedy received certificates of recognition for the NASA Swarmathon 2019 University Challenge. Second from right is Melanie Moses, a professor of computer science at the Swarmathon host location, University of New Mexico. At far right is Theresa Martinez, engagement manager of the Minority University Research and Education Program, managed at Kennedy. University students and their mentors were at Kennedy to participate in a student/mentor panel, hear from speakers, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center, dine with an astronaut and receive awards. During Swarmathon University Challenge IV, students developed algorithms for robotic swarms that are robust and adaptable like the foraging strategies of ant colonies. The fourth and final Swarmathon was a combined virtual and physical competition.
Barbara Brown, center, chief technologist, Exploration Research and Technology Programs, participates in a panel discussion during a Community Leaders Update hosted by Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. At left is Jenny Lyons, deputy manager, Gateway Logistics Element. At right is Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager, Exploration Ground Systems. The panel discussion was moderated by Center Director Bob Cabana. Attendees included community leaders, business executives, partners, educators and government leaders. After the presentation, guests had the opportunity to ask questions and visit displays from the programs and some of the commercial partners.
Students from the University of Virginia pose for a photograph after winning the grand prize during NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Thursday, May 21, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
The last United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket joins the lineup of historic launch vehicles in the Rocket Garden during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, on March 23, 2021. From left, are Brigadier General Stephen Purdy Jr., 45th Space Wing commander and Eastern Range director, Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station; Ron Fortson, director and general manager, Launch Operations, United Launch Alliance; Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana; Tim Dunn, launch director, Launch Services Program; and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer, Delaware North/KSCVC. The Delta II rocket was a workhorse for NASA and civilian scientists, the U.S. military, and commercial clients throughout its almost 30 years of service. Since its first launch in 1989, the Delta II has launched 154 successful missions. NASA’s Launch Services Program launched the ICESat-2 spacecraft on the final Delta II launch for the agency on Sept. 15, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
A Swarmathon University Competition 2019 team presents their poster to a panel of judges at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on June 11, 2019. Swarmathon students and their mentors were at Kennedy to participate in a student/mentor panel, hear from speakers, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center, dine with an astronaut and receive awards during an awards ceremony. During Swarmathon University Challenge IV, students developed algorithms for robotic swarms that are robust and adaptable like the foraging strategies of ant colonies. The fourth and final Swarmathon was a combined virtual and physical competition, hosted by UNM.
A memorial wreath is placed in the Heroes and Legends exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida following a ceremony honoring the memory of former Apollo astronaut Walter Cunningham. The ceremony was held Jan. 9, 2023. Cunningham was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 7 – the first crewed flight test of the Apollo spacecraft – where he tested maneuvers necessary for docking and lunar orbit rendezvous. He passed away Jan. 3 at the age of 90.
A newly released butterfly sits in a cluster of flowers at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Kennedy kicked off its annual Earth Day celebrations with a sustainability expo at the center’s visitor complex in Florida on April 11, 2019, which included multiple butterfly releases throughout the day. Approximately 40 exhibitors from across the nation assembled to provide information ranging from energy-saving solutions to wildlife and natural conservation.
The Swarmathon team from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo received the Best Poster Award during the awards ceremony for NASA’s Swarmathon University Challenge IV, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on June 12, 2019. Students and mentors from some of the Swarmathon teams were at Kennedy to participate in a student/mentor panel, hear from speakers, get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center, dine with an astronaut and receive awards. For the challenge, university students developed algorithms for robotic swarms that are robust and adaptable like the foraging strategies of ant colonies. The fourth and final Swarmathon challenge was a combined virtual and physical competition. Fourth from right is Melanie Moses, a professor of computer science at the University of New Mexico, the host location for Swarmathon. Second from right is Theresa Martinez, engagement manager of the Minority University Research and Education Program, managed at Kennedy.
The University of Utah team’s prototype lunar robot performs during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Thursday, May 21, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.