Meet an Astronaut – Don Thomas
Thanks to the team at Inspire Space astronaut, veteran of four flights, scientist, educator, and author Don Thomas is visiting the National Space Centre.
- 9th Jun 2024
- Multiple ticket options
- Fan and family sessions
- Submit questions when booking
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![Don1]()
Thanks to the team at Inspire Space astronaut, veteran of four flights, scientist, educator, and author Don Thomas is visiting the National Space Centre.
Don first got interested in becoming an astronaut when he was six years old. Watching the early astronauts like Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong blasting off into space made him want to follow in their footsteps. And thirty three years later he would do exactly that.
Selected as a mission specialist astronaut in NASA’s 13th group of astronauts in 1990, he is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions, three aboard Columbia and one aboard Discovery. He has spent 44 days in space completing nearly 700 orbits of the Earth and traveling 17.6 million miles in the process.
Times and Ticket Prices
- 09:00-11:00 - Breakfast with an Astronaut - £25
- 11:30-12:30 - Shuttle Suite Q&A #1 - £10
- 13:30-14:30 - Shuttle Suite Q&A #2 - £10
- Book with Autograph (signed on the day) - £25
- Photograph - £20
- Autograph - £15
Please note - these tickets do not include entry to the National Space Centre. Breakfast does not require day entry, but Q&A/photo/autograph/book sessions will all require standard day entry (Annual Passes can be used to book in advance online).
Breakfast with an Astronaut
The ultimate experience for the day includes:
- An opportunity to join a small group for breakfast with Don
- An astronaut themed burrito*, tea, coffee, and juice
- An opportunity to hear him speak, and ask questions
- An opportunity to pre-order a copy of Don’s book for him to sign
- An opportunity to pre-order a photograph, and/or autograph
* Meat, Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free options all available at booking
Does not include entry to the National Space Centre (the event is hosted in The POD).
Q&A with an Astronaut
Add this to your day entry ticket (you can use your Annual Pass to book entry to the Centre):
- Take a seat in the Shuttle Suites for a Q&A with an astronaut
- Submit your question when booking (we cannot guarantee all questions will be included)
- An opportunity to pre-order a copy of Don’s book for him to sign
- An opportunity to pre-order a photograph, and/or autograph
Book Signing - Orbit of Discovery
During Memorial Day weekend in 1995, a little more than a week before the scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-70 mission, a single woodpecker made 205 holes in the soft foam insulation covering the huge external fuel tank of the Shuttle.
The resulting damage led to one of the more unusual delays in the thirty year history of the Space Shuttle Program as NASA wrestled with what had happened, how to fix the damage, and how to prevent additional woodpecker attacks on its Space Shuttles in the future. Forever nicknamed “The Woodpecker Shuttle Flight” the mission was also unique in that 4 of the 5 crewmembers assigned to the flight were from Ohio. After the governor of Ohio issued a proclamation making the fifth crewmember an “Honorary Ohioan” this flight also became known as “The All-Ohio Space Shuttle Mission”. Orbit of Discovery is an engaging first-person account of Discovery’s STS-70 mission that shares the excitement, passion, adventure, accomplishments, and shear fun of the Space Shuttle Program as told by four-time veteran astronaut Don Thomas.
Photo Shoot
Following the Q&A session grab a photo memento with Don thanks to the Inspire Space team and photographer.
Your session includes a colour 8x6 photo printed and delivered during the session.
Tickets and Vouchers
FAQs
