KSC Lunch with an astronaut - is it worth it

[suecee]

Hi,

We went to KSC this year & loved it. We met an astronaut in the gift shop.

We are wondering what people's views are of the lunch with an astronaut option. Is it worth it?

We are going next year.

We will be skipping the Saturn exhibition & bus ride this time so hopefully there will be plenty of time for the lunch if we choose that option.

I look forward to your views.

Tia

[ianc]

As you said, you can meet the astronaut on duty that day one-on-one in the shop. Did you also do the Astronaut Encounter, which is included in the entrance fee, and takes place several times a day in a theatre? The astronaut gives a talk, with visual aids, then answers questions from kids (sit in the front 2 rows or next to the aisle at the front, so the microphone can reach you easily to increase chance of being picked), then there is an opportunity to have your photo taken with him/her in the foyer on the way out.
The description of the Lunch with an Astronaut is basically just that, but whilst you are hav≈ing lunch. The cost is really to pay for the catering and meal. So the question as to whether it is good value comes down mainly to whether you think the food provided is worth the cost compared to what is available in the self-serve restaurants. I don't think it is, which is why I haven't done it despite going to KSC half a dozen times. Eating lunch whilst there is an astronaut in the same room might be considered a novelty, but not one that excites me. I doubt you get any more 'space' or 'astronaut' than you can get for free, but happy to be proved wrong if someone who has done it can highlight something extra.

[amy56]

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch with an astronaut and got to speak with him individually two or three times.

We only decided to do it on the morning we were queuing to get in, and that was based on overhearing a woman in front of us, who used to work for NASA, saying how good the astronaut that day was at interacting with the public and public speaking - apparently not all of them are quite so gifted, and she made it sound as though some lunches were much better than others, depending on who the astronaut of the day was, so we thought we’d give it a shot, and we loved it!

However I will say, that this was the first time I’d visited KSC for 20 years and so I can’t remember previous visits, or whether we’d have enjoyed it just as well without the lunch! 😂

[suecee]

Originally Posted by ianc

As you said, you can meet the astronaut on duty that day one-on-one in the shop. Did you also do the Astronaut Encounter, which is included in the entrance fee, and takes place several times a day in a theatre? The astronaut gives a talk, with visual aids, then answers questions from kids (sit in the front 2 rows or next to the aisle at the front, so the microphone can reach you easily to increase chance of being picked), then there is an opportunity to have your photo taken with him/her in the foyer on the way out.
The description of the Lunch with an Astronaut is basically just that, but whilst you are hav≈ing lunch. The cost is really to pay for the catering and meal. So the question as to whether it is good value comes down mainly to whether you think the food provided is worth the cost compared to what is available in the self-serve restaurants. I don't think it is, which is why I haven't done it despite going to KSC half a dozen times. Eating lunch whilst there is an astronaut in the same room might be considered a novelty, but not one that excites me. I doubt you get any more 'space' or 'astronaut' than you can get for free, but happy to be proved wrong if someone who has done it can highlight something extra.

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Thanks for this it's really helpful. I didn't know about the astronaut encounter, we will definitely do this!

[suecee]

Originally Posted by amy56

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch with an astronaut and got to speak with him individually two or three times.

We only decided to do it on the morning we were queuing to get in, and that was based on overhearing a woman in front of us, who used to work for NASA, saying how good the astronaut that day was at interacting with the public and public speaking - apparently not all of them are quite so gifted, and she made it sound as though some lunches were much better than others, depending on who the astronaut of the day was, so we thought we’d give it a shot, and we loved it!

However I will say, that this was the first time I’d visited KSC for 20 years and so I can’t remember previous visits, or whether we’d have enjoyed it just as well without the lunch! 😂

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Thanks. Don't suppose you remember the name of the astronaut. I know they post on their website which astronaut will be there each day.

It is good to know the astronaut spoke with you. The guy we met in the gift shop was super nice but obviously not much time to chat with him.

[amy56]

Originally Posted by suecee

Thanks. Don't suppose you remember the name of the astronaut. I know they post on their website which astronaut will be there each day.

It is good to know the astronaut spoke with you. The guy we met in the gift shop was super nice but obviously not much time to chat with him.

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I do, his name is James F Reilly, but I’ve just read that as of Feb this year, Donald Trump employed him as the Director of the US Geological Survey! So I suspect he is now too busy to continue with his NASA lunches - a real shame as he was very good.

[suecee]

Originally Posted by amy56

I do, his name is James F Reilly, but I’ve just read that as of Feb this year, Donald Trump employed him as the Director of the US Geological Survey! So I suspect he is now too busy to continue with his NASA lunches - a real shame as he was very good.

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Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for him but I agree he's probably a bit busy

[novocastrian]

we did it a couple of years ago, was a decent hour or so but obviously the astronaut isnt sitting at your table but they do have a Q&A session ater they have given their talk

was it worth it ? suppose for the cost of the decent enough food based on theme park prices it was wasnt too bad.. but bare in mind only @500 people have ever been in space to the chance to ask any of them a question is worth it imo

Wendy Lawrence was the astronaut on our day, she was a navy helicopter pilot turned astronaut who iirc flew 4 missions

but i will add as above, Wendy was in the gift shop later in the afternoon for signings/pics and to be honest it wasnt that busy so had more of a chat then than the lunch...

[Guest]

Originally Posted by suecee

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for him but I agree he's probably a bit busy

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With the turnover of people Donald goes through and the fact you have over a hundred days before you go I expect he will be back at NASA by the time you go

[plastic orange]

We dined with an Astronaut about 10 years ago and found it a worthwhile experience. However, our astronaut was Al Worden who was on the Apollo 15 mission (pilot who circumnavigated the moon whilst others were on the moon) and his talk was extremely interesting and he interacted well with the audience. I'm not sure if I'd have been as interested in the later missions. en.wikipedia/wiki/Alfred_Worden.
Meal was ok too,

Pete