It seems like everyone wants to witness one of NASA's last space shuttle launch, and today's planed liftoff of the shuttle Endeavour is no exception. NASA has a long list of VIP guests for Endeavour's afternoon launch, and even Hollywood found a way to nab seats for the launch.
According to NASA's official list, the space agency has invited no less than 118 VIP guests, with some of those invitees – such as President Barack Obama and his family – representing more than one person. That may not be as long as the royal wedding guest list, but it's a substantial number for NASA.
Of course, this guest list is just one set of VIPs; the space agency expects more than 700,000 spectators in all to turn out at various locations all around its Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Liftoff is set for 3:47 p.m. EDT (1947 GMT) today.
Some folks aren't even on the list: Actors Levar Burton (one of the stars from TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation") and Seth Green managed to snag tickets to NASA's official "Tweetup" for Endeavour's STS-134 mission. The a social networking event for Twitter followers at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site is part of NASA's public outreach efforts.
The NASA guest list has an international flair, but also includes 38 members of Congress and two former NASA Administrators. [Complete Coverage: Shuttle Endeavour's Final Mission]
Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is the wife of Endeavour commander Mark Kelly and is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, is also attending and is listed among the congressional guests.
Here's the full look at NASA's VIP guest list for the last launch of space shuttle Endeavour:
1. The President, Mrs. Obama and Family
2. Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
3. Steve Fetter Assistant Director At Large, Office of Science andd Technology Policy
4. Kei Koizumi Assistant Director, Federal R&D Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy
5. Carlos Monje, Jr. Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the Domestic Policy Council
6. Nancy Sutley Chair, Council on Environmental Quality
7. Sahar Wali Communications Director, White House Council on Environmental Quality
8. Chirag Parikh, Director, Space Policy, National Security Council
9. John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management
10. Aaron Williams, Director, Peace Corps
11. Jane Lubchenco Administrator, NOAA
12. Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID
13. David Hayes Deputy Secretary, Interior
14. Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary, Energy
15. Dan Goldin, Former NASA Administrator
16. Michael Griffin, Former NASA Administrator
17. George Cohen, Director, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
18. Roger Correll, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, USAF
19. Terry Yonkers Assistant Secretary, USAF Installations, Environment and Logistics
20. Gen William Shelton, Commander, Air Force Space Command
21. Lt Gen Susan Helms, Commander, Air Force 14th Space Command
22. Lt. Gen. John Koziol, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Joint and Coalition and Warfighter Support and Director of the Department of Defense Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Task Force
23. Adm. William Fallon US Navy, Ret.
24. Paula Kerger President & CEO, PBS
25. Dr. Douglas Dahl, Massachusetts General Hospital
26. Robert Borden, Chairman Bumper Development
27. Frank Saul, Chairman & CEO, B. F. Saul Compa
28. Gwynne Shotwell, President, SpaceX
29. Blake Larson, President, ATK
30. Sandra Johnson, CEO, Barrios
31. Jeff Rudolph, President, California Science Center
32. David Hess, President, Pratt Whitney
33. Jim Maser, President, Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne
34. Frank DiBello, President, Space Florida
35. Virginia Barnes, CEO, United Space Alliance
36. Gary Erwin, Corporate Vice President and President, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
37. Taber MacCallum, President, Paragon Space Development Corp.
38. Dr. Sam Ting, AMS Principle Investigator
39. Mr. Jeffrey Rudolph. President and CEO, California Science Center
40. Dr. Susan Marks Ting, Senior Administrator, Laboratory for Nuclear Science, MIT
41. Dr. Richard Milner Director, Laboratory for Nuclear Science, MIT
42. Dr. Lisa Randall, Frank B. Baird, JR Professor of Science, Dept. of Physics, Harvard University
43. Dr. L. Rafael Reif Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
44. Dr. Virginia Hinshaw Chancellor, University of Hawaii
45. Dr. Richard Milner Director, Laboratory for Nuclear Science, MIT
46. Dr. Lisa Randall, Frank B. Baird, JR Professor of Science, Dept. of Physics, Harvard University
47. Dr. L. Rafael Reif Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Congressional Guests – Members
48. OILIA Governor Rick Scott, Florida Governor R
49. Sen. Bill Nelson D-FL
50. Sen. Barbara Mikulski D MD
51. Sen. Marco Rubio R-FL
52. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-FL-20
53. Rep. Pete Olson R-TX-22
54. Rep. Jim Costa, D-CA-20
55. Rep. Madeleine Z. Bordallo, D-GU-AL
56. Rep. Samuel Graves R-MO-6
57. Rep. Louie Gohmert,R-TX-1
58. Rep. Ralph Hall R-TX-4
59. Rep. Michael McCaul R-TX-10
60. Rep. Steven Palazzo R-MS-4
61. Rep. Marcia Fudge D-OH-11
62. Rep. Terri Sewell D-AL-7
63. Rep. Donna Edwards D-MD-4
64. Rep. Frederica Wilson D-FL-17
65. Rep. Hansen Clarke D-MI-13
66. Rep. Jerry Costello D-IL-12
67. Rep. Mike McIntyre D-NC-7
68. Rep. Jim Cooper D-TN-5
69. Rep. Kevin Yoder R-KS-3
70. Rep Gabrielle Giffords D-AZ-3
71. Rep. Doug Lamborn R-CO-5
72. Rep. Blake Farenthold R-TX-27
73. Rep. Steve Cohen D-TN-9
74. Rep. John Garamendi D-CA-10
75. Rep. Carolyn Maloney D-NY-14
76. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX-18
77. Rep. Sandy Adams R-FL-24
78. Rep. Todd Rokita R-IN-4
79. Rep. Kathy Castor D-FL-11
80. Rep. Randy Hultgren R-IL-14
81. Rep. John Fleming R-LA-4
82. Rep. David McKinley R-WV-1
83. Sen. John Boozman R-AR
84. Rep.Chellie Pingree D-ME-1
85. Rep. Joe Donnelly D-IN-2
86. Rep. Bill Posey R-FL-15
International Dignitaries
European Space Agency (ESA)
87. Mr. Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General, ESA
88. Mr. Karlheinz Kreuzberg, Head of Director General’s Cabinet
89. Johann-Dietrich Woerner, Chairman of the Executive Board, German Aerospace Center, DLR
90. Mr. Daniel Neuenschwander, Director, Swiss Space Office
91. Mr. Peter Hulsroj, Former Director, ESA
92. Mr. Heiner Heseler, Minister, Federal State of Bremen
93. Mr. Michael Georg Link, Member of Parliament, Germany
Italian Space Agency
94. Honorable Ignazio La Russa, Minister of Defense, Italian Parliament
95. Ambassador Giulio Terzi Di Santa’Agata, Italian Ambassador to US
96. Ms. Simona Vicari, Italian Senator
97. Mr. Vincenzo Vita, Italian Senator
98. Mr. Enrico Saggese, President, ASI
99. Mr. Guido Crosetto, Vice President for General Defense-Parliament, ID SMD
100. Mr. Biagio Abrate, Head of State of Defense, IT SMD
101. Mr. Claudio De Bertolis, Secretary General of Defense, IT SMD
102. Mr. Gabriele Salvestroni, Defence Attache, Italian Embassy U.S.
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
103. Bernard Belloc (France), Scientific Advisor to the President of the French Republic
104. Alexander Rumiantsev (Russia), Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Republic of Finland
105.Jose Mariano Gago (Portugal), Minister of Science, Technology and Education
106. Rolf-Dieter Heuer (Germany), Director-General of CERN
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
107. Ambassador Gary Doer, Ambassador of Canada to the U.S.
108. The Honorable David Charles Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Government of Canada
109. Dr. Steve MacLean, President, Canadian Space Agency
110. Dr. Chummer Farina, Vice-President of the Canadian Space Agency
111. Mr. Gilles Leclerc, Director General Space Technologies, Canadian Space Agency
Russia
112.Mr. Alexander Vasilievich Neradko, Head Rosaviatsiya
Ukraine
113. Ambassador Olexander Motsyk, Ukraine
114. Sir Andrew Wilson, Air Chief Marshal (Ret.)
Bermuda
115. Honorable Paula A. Cox, The Premier of Bermuda
116. Ms. Grace Shelton, U.S. Consul General of Bermuda
Mexico
117. Mr. Jorge Barrero: Chief of Cabinet of the Minister
118. Mr. Carlos Martínez, Director General for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Mexico
These lists are typically valid only for the launch day they are provided for. Any delays or changes to the launch can change who is able to attend, NASA officials have said in the past.
Endeavour will fly to the International Space Station for a two-week visit to deliver a $2 billion astrophysics experiment designed to hunt for exotic subatomic particles. Four spacewalks are planned.
After this mission, NASA plans to launch only one more shuttle flight. That mission will fly on the shuttle Atlantis and is currently slated to launch on June 28.
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