On Sunday,
February 24, 2002, the public is invited to celebrate 40 years of Americans in
orbit with all four surviving Mercury Astronauts — John Glenn, Scott
Carpenter, Wally Schirra and Gordon Cooper — at Kennedy Space Center Visitor
Complex. This month marks the 40th anniversary of John Glenn’s Friendship 7
flight, the first of America’s orbital space flights.
At 4 p.m., February 24th, the Mercury Astronauts will take part in a
dedication ceremony at the newly redeveloped Rocket Garden, with WESH-TV’s
Orlando Space Reporter, Dan Billow, serving as host. The Rocket Garden is home
to an authentic Mercury Atlas, the same rocket that launched the four
astronauts into space. New elements in the Rocket Garden include expansive
pathways, seating pods, dramatic lighting and enhanced graphic elements.
During the day, Mercury and Gemini Astronaut Gordon Cooper and Mercury, Gemini
and Apollo Pad Leader Guenter Wendt will sign copies of their books. Comedian
Bill Dana, famous for his character “Jose Jimenez” and who became known as the
eighth Mercury astronaut, will sign copies of his CD.
The Rocket Garden dedication ceremony and special appearances are included
in the price of regular admission, which is $26 for adults and $16 for
children ages 3-11, plus tax. Tickets can be purchased at the Visitor Complex
on the day of the event, or may be purchased in advance by calling
(321) 449-4444 or visiting http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com. Guests who are
12-month pass members may attend the daytime events at no additional charge.
US Airways and Space Adventures are proud sponsors of the events celebrating
the 40th Anniversary of Americans in Orbit.
Kennedy Space Center is located 45 minutes east of Orlando, Fla. The
Visitor Complex is open from 9 a.m. to approximately dusk every day except
December 25 and certain launch days.
Note: Walter Cronkite, previously announced as an event participant, will
unfortunately not be appearing.
