KSC-2009-5311

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, riding in a 1968 Camaro convertible, participates in a ticker-tape parade, part of the festivities to welcome toy space ranger Buzz Lightyear, at his side, home from space. Fincke was commander of the International Space Station from October 2008 to April 2009. The 12-inch-tall action figure spent more than 15 months aboard the International Space Station and returned to Earth aboard space shuttle Discovery on Sept. 11 with the STS-128 crew. Lightyear's space adventure, a collaboration between NASA and Disney Parks, is intended to share the excitement of space exploration with students around the world and encourage them to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/buzzoniss. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis