Updates from the Kennedy Space Center (Feb. 17-28, 2014)

1. Space enthusiasts won’t want to miss space shuttle astronaut Tom Jones’ reddit.com IAmA thread on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. EST. Dr. Jones, a scientist, author and pilot, will address the topics of Human Asteroid Exploration, Planetary Defense and Mars Exploration. A veteran of four space shuttle missions to orbit Earth during his 11 years with NASA, Jones is a highly regarded expert on space travel, exploration and planetary defense. To post questions and participate, go to www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/.

2. Space shuttle astronauts Shannon Lucid, the only American woman to serve aboard the Russian Space Station Mir, and Jerry Ross, the first human to complete seven space shuttle missions, have been selected for induction in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Their selection as the 2014 inductees was announced Feb. 7 at the new Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Lucid and Ross will be inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame at 3 p.m. May 3 during a ceremony at the Visitor Complex, joining the ranks of well-known space explorers such as Alan Shepard, John Glenn, John Young, Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride.

3. Veteran NASA astronauts will meet with visitors at Astronaut Encounter:

• Space Shuttle Astronaut Jerry Carr, Feb. 17-20
• Space Shuttle Astronaut Fred Gregory, Feb. 21-28

For more information about these and other special events, feel free to visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.