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Veteran
NASA Astronauts Brian Duffy and Scott Parazynski
Inducted
into United States Astronaut Hall of Fame®
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Cape
Canaveral, FL – May 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / Veteran NASA astronauts
Brian Duffy and Scott Parazynski joined a prestigious group of American
space heroes in the United
States Astronaut Hall of Fame® Saturday (May 14), during an induction
ceremony at Kennedy Space
Center Visitor Complex.
Duffy
and Parazynski make up the 15th group of space shuttle astronauts to be
inducted into the Hall of Fame. Both flew aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis,
which is now located at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and appropriately
the site of the induction ceremony. Adding the two veteran astronauts to
the Hall of Fame brings the total number of inductees to 93.
Both
Duffy and Parazynski boast outstanding accomplishments achieved during
their illustrious careers in aerospace and science:
-
A veteran
Air Force pilot, astronaut and aerospace industry executive, Duffy flew
four space shuttle missions, including STS-92, which opened the door to
construction of the International Space Station.
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A medical
doctor and pilot, Parazynski is a veteran of five space shuttle missions.
He flew alongside legendary astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn and is
credited with performing a critical, unrehearsed spacewalk to repair a
space station solar array.
More than
20 legendary astronauts were on hand to welcome the inductees, including:
Fred Haise, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Owen Garriott, Jack Lousma, Vance
Brand, Bob Crippen, Karol “Bo” Bobko, Rick Hauck, Dan Brandenstein, Brewster
Shaw, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Jeff Hoffman, Rhea Seddon, Dick Covey, Bonnie
Dunbar, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Kathy Thornton, James Wetherbee,
Kevin Chilton, Charlie Precourt and Kent Rominger.
The
U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame was spearheaded by the Astronaut Scholarship
Foundation, an organization created more than 30 years ago by the six surviving
Mercury 7 astronauts, with the goal of helping university students pursue
their dreams in science, math and technology. Since that time, the foundation
has awarded more than $4 million in merit-based scholarships to more than
400 brilliant students.
The
Foundation’s legacy will continue in late 2016 when a new U.S. Astronaut
Hall of Fame opens at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as part of the
new Heroes and Legends attraction. Heroes and Legends will not only bring
to life the enthralling stories of America’s pioneering astronauts, but
also invite guests to vicariously experience the thrills and dangers of
America’s earliest missions through high-tech elements and special effects,
including simulated holograms and augmented reality. Inside the new U.S.
Astronaut Hall of Fame, guests can use interactive features to learn more
about nearly 100 astronaut heroes.
The
highlight of Heroes and Legends is a 4-D omnidirectional theater experience,
designed to make guests feel as though they are floating in the vastness
of space. Stunning images will envelope them as legendary astronauts invite
them to join in their epic journeys into the vast unknown.
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L-R:
Brian Duffy and Scott Parazynski
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U.S.
Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Process and Eligibility
Each
year, inductees 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.
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, inspiration and educational
activities, including the Kennedy Space Center Tour featuring the Apollo/Saturn
V Center with an actual Saturn V moon rocket, Space Shuttle Atlantis®,
Shuttle Launch Experience®, IMAX® A Beautiful Planet 3D and Journey
To Space films, Astronaut Encounter, Journey To Mars: Explorers Wanted,
Science on a Sphere®, Rocket Garden, Cosmic Quest, and many other exhibits.
Opening 2016 is Heroes and Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of
Fame. 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. 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.
Note:
Photographs and biographies of the inductees are available on request and
at media.KennedySpaceCenter.com.
Follow
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Facebook,
Twitter,
YouTube,
Instagram,
Google+
and Pinterest
About
Delaware North
Delaware
North is one of the largest privately held hospitality and food service
companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family
for 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places
such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination
resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our 60,000 employee
associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a
time in serving more than a half-billion guests annually. Delaware North
operates in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurant and catering, parks,
resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries and has annual revenue
of about $3 billion. "Delaware North" is a reference to Delaware North
Companies Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries, including location-specific
operating entities. Learn more about Delaware North, a global leader in
hospitality and food service, at www.DelawareNorth.com.
Connect
with Delaware North on Facebook
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Contacts:
Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex
Andrea
Farmer
Public
Relations Manager
321-449-4318
Lauren
Eisele Walbert
410-616-8943
Sandy
Hillman Communications
for
KSCVC
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