Ceremony Honoring Connor Johnson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Six-year-old Connor Johnson gives a big thumbs up following a ceremony in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex' Rocket Garden in which NASA Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Robert Cabana presented him with mementos to inspire the youngster to continue the dream he has had since the age of three of becoming an astronaut. From left are Connor's brother Liam, Cabana and Connor. Connor, of Denver, Colo., gained national attention for having the "right stuff" when he launched an online petition on the White House website in December 2013 to save NASA’s funding from budget cuts. One of the mementos, a piece of space history, was a bolt used to hold the International Space Station's Unity module in place in space shuttle Endeavour's payload bay on the STS-88 mission, the first station assembly mission and Cabana's fourth and final spaceflight. Connor and his family were the guests of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, the concessionaire managing the visitor complex. During his visit, Connor had the opportunity to meet with astronauts, see space vehicles and witness the Robot Rocket Rally underway in the complex' Rocket Garden over the weekend. To learn more about the educational activities available daily at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com. Photo credit: NASA/Dan Casper