Kathryn Patricia "Kay" Hire is a former NASA astronaut and Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, who began working for NASA in 1989 as a space shuttle engineer. Hire, the 34th female space traveler, logged more than 711 hours in space. Hire is currently the president of Astra Portolan Corp., and shares experiences as an astronaut and naval leader to guide students and organisations towards emerging opportunities.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Kay Hire made her first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance in the 2019 Parade. Hire joined fellow former NASA astronaut Dr. Janet Kavandi and Charlie Brown as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 space mission, which was the first time man stepped on the moon.
The two NASA alumni waved to Parade spectators from the Snoopy's Doghouse float, which was refurbished to fit the theme of at-home space exploration and featured a telescope atop Snoopy's doghouse and a satellite antenna, along with such iconic Peanuts visuals as Charlie Brown's infamous football and Snoopy's red supper dish.
Hire commented on her Parade appearance, saying she was excited about the float which commemorates NASA and hopes young kids will “See Snoopy and be inspired and think of what it means to explore space.”