CAPE CANAVERAL (September 18, 2025) – KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – Beginning October 3, guests can take their taste buds on a journey through a galaxy of flavors at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex! During the Taste of Space food festival, made up of three events including Taste of Space: Fall Bites!, Marstini Shake-Off, and Taste of Space: Celebrity Chef Edition, guests will discover multiple ways to launch their palates into a universe of fall flavor.
Taste of Space: Fall Bites!
A delectable selection of special menu items featuring the distinctive flavors of fall will be available at Orbit Cafe and Moon Rock Cafe during Taste of Space: Fall Bites! From October 3 to November 16, visitors can indulge in out-of-this-world, limited-time menu items as follows:
- Orbit Cafe will feature a hearty lentil chili with crisp tortilla chips, a warm and flaky apple blossom drizzled with caramel sauce, and a cozy spaetzle tossed with mushrooms in a rich brown butter sauce.
- Moon Rock Cafe, located at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, will serve a crispy pork schnitzel sandwich topped with tangy slaw as well as golden potato latke dippers paired with cranberry ketchup. For dessert, guests can enjoy a decadent chocolate Bundt cake with a tart raspberry sauce.
Taste of Space: Marstini Shake-Off
The very popular “Marstini Shake-Off” event promises an evening of cosmic cocktails with a new immersive, multi-sensory twist on October 3. Set to take place inside Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex®, guests will watch the cocktails come to life and then taste them blindfolded while accompanied by space-themed sounds selected by the bartender for a multi-sensory experience.
Guests (21+) can sample exclusive space-themed “Marstinis” crafted by Lourdes Library, The Space Bar, Playalinda’s Brix Project, 28 North Gastropub, The Alibi Cocktails & Bites, and Coa Cocoa Beach. Attendees will also have the opportunity to mix and mingle with veteran NASA astronaut Mike Foreman and vote for their favorite cocktail creation to win the People’s Choice Award. Tickets for the after-hours experience are $99 plus tax and can be purchased here.
Taste of Space: Celebrity Chef Edition
The Taste of Space: Celebrity Chef Edition returns on November 15 and will honor 25 years aboard the International Space Station with an unforgettable evening of culinary creativity and astronaut storytelling. Renowned chefs Jet Tila, Amanda Freitag, and Jon Ashton will demonstrate their expert cooking techniques alongside veteran NASA astronauts Robert Cabana, Nicole Stott and Michael Lopez-Alegria. Attendees will enjoy exclusive dishes from the chefs, personal stories from astronauts, photo opportunities, a custom pin and commemorative keepsake. Tickets for this event are $175 per person plus tax and are available for purchase online at www.kennedyspacecenter.com.
For the ultimate foodie experience, a limited number of tickets are available for an exclusive meal that will follow the chef demo. The event will feature a menu designed by Tila, Freitag, and Ashton, and will take place on the second floor of Gateway inside the flight terminal of Spaceport KSC. Throughout the evening, chefs and astronauts will make personal visits to each table, creating once-in-a-lifetime memories. The meal concludes on a sweet note, with time to mingle and capture photos with the culinary stars and space explorers. Tickets are $499 per person plus tax and include both the chef demo and sit-down dinner events. They are available for purchase online at www.kennedyspacecenter.com.
For more information about Taste of Space, visit www.kennedyspacecenter.com.
*Menu items are subject to change without notice. Due to the curated nature of this culinary experience, we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions.
About the Chefs
Chef Jet Tila
From battling the legendary Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef America, opening Encore Hotel in Las Vegas and guiding Anthony Bourdain through many markets and restaurants, Chef Jet Tila is internationally celebrated for his culinary expertise. This three-time Emmy, James Beard nominee and best-selling author grew up in the first family of Thai food and then later attending both French and Japanese culinary schools, Jet is a born educator and storyteller. Jet was appointed as the inaugural Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine by the Royal Thai Consulate, the first-ever chef to represent his country’s culture and cuisine.
Chef Jet’s culinary operations includes VP Culinary of Pei Wei Group 160restaurants & Managing Partner Dragon Tiger Noodle Co in Las Vegas. He has partnerships with Compass Group, Schwan’s CJ food, HSN & NBCUniversal/Dream Works. His food reaches millions of people a year.
He appears as a host, co-host, judge, and competitor on many Food Network shows as “Tournament of Champions,” “Ready Jet Cook,” “Iron Chef America,” “Cutthroat Kitchen,” “Chopped,” “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Guy’s Grocery Games.” As well as an array of shows ranging from the “Today Show,” “MasterChef,” and “Rachael Ray,” and holds six culinary Guinness World Records.
Chef Amanda Freitag
Born and raised in New Jersey, chef, television personality, and author Amanda Freitag has become a culinary maven. Following her graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, Amanda worked in a diverse mix of restaurants in New York City, including Jean-George Vongerichten’s Vong, Verbena, Il Buco, Cesca, and The Harrison, running the culinary gamut of Mediterranean, Italian and Classic American. She sharpened her skills through world travel, including working under Chef Alain Passard in Paris, and continued expanding her culinary expertise into a variety of international cuisines. Outside of the restaurant business, Amanda has become a household name for her work both on and off the television screen. She is well known for being a judge on Food Network’s “Chopped” and has appeared on “Iron Chef America,” “Next Iron Chef,” “Unique Eats,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” Guy Fieri’s “Tournament of Champions,” and more. Her mission to make cooking more approachable inspired her cookbook “The Chef Next Door,” her viral social series EasyAF, as well as her various product lines – bottled cocktails, spice blends, and AF merchandise. Most recently, she launched On The Line podcast alongside co-host and culinary colleague Chef Dan Holzman.
Chef Jon Ashton
Chef Jon Ashton’s love for cooking began at age eight, learning timeless recipes and kitchen wisdom at his grandmother’s side in Liverpool, England. By sixteen, he knew his future lay in the culinary arts. After graduating from a French-inspired culinary school, Jon embarked on a global journey that shaped his unique culinary perspective. From the vibrant markets of Southeast Asia to the rich traditions of European kitchens, Jon immersed himself in diverse flavors and techniques, infusing his cooking with a truly international flair.
Guided by the belief that “cooking has the power to inspire anyone,” Jon is passionate about sharing the beauty and accessibility of food with audiences around the world. His culinary approach celebrates bold, global flavors, with a particular love for the aromatic and layered cuisines of Southeast Asia. For Jon, cooking is more than a skill; it’s a universal language of connection, resilience, and joy.
After moving to the United States to pursue his dreams, Jon built a celebrated career that reflects his commitment to spreading love, kindness, gratitude, and laughter through food. As a devoted husband, proud father to Victoria Mei, and Labradoodle Daddy to Eleanor Rigby, Jon cherishes food’s power to bring people together and enrich life’s most meaningful moments.
Jon’s talents have made him a trusted partner to some of America’s most iconic brands, including Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World, Waring, Parade.com, GEICO, Cuisinart, Four Seasons, Crystal Cruises, Quaker/Tropicana, Eggland’s Best, Brown-Forman, NFL, NASCAR, and Condé Nast. As the founder of Jon Ashton Productions, Jon combines his culinary expertise with storytelling to create compelling brand narratives that connect global audiences through food and travel.
Available for dynamic live events, brand activations, private gatherings, and speaking engagements, Jon Ashton continues to inspire home cooks everywhere to embrace the joy of cooking and discover the world on their plates.