--- title: See A Tiny Astronaut Visit the Kennedy Space Center description: A photographer's son explores the Kennedy Space Center, dressed in a NASA space suit for the photo project 'Small Steps Are Giant Leaps' canonical: https://time.com/4439458/tiny-astronaut-kennedy-space-center-photography/ author: Marisa Gertz article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-10T13:00:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:59:37.314Z article:section: Science og:title: See an adorable tiny astronaut visit Kennedy Space Center og:description: A photographer's son explores the world, dressed in a NASA space suit og:url: https://time.com/4439458/tiny-astronaut-kennedy-space-center-photography/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcdedd688913b756e/6988a12ebc6cfcc3f93de203/aaron-sheldon-small-steps-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: aaron-sheldon-small-steps-06 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See an adorable tiny astronaut visit Kennedy Space Center twitter:description: A photographer's son explores the world, dressed in a NASA space suit twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcdedd688913b756e/6988a12ebc6cfcc3f93de203/aaron-sheldon-small-steps-06.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See A Tiny Astronaut Visit the Kennedy Space Center > Sponsored content. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Marisa Gertz](https://time.com/author/marisa-gertz/) ## Marisa Gertz Aug 10, 2016 1:00 PM UTC  Harrison stands in the Visitor Complex’s cupola, July 19, 2016. Harrison stands in the Visitor Complex’s cupola, July 19, 2016. Aaron Sheldon by [Marisa Gertz](https://time.com/author/marisa-gertz/) ## Marisa Gertz Aug 10, 2016 1:00 PM UTC It all started with a regular, everyday bus ride. Photographer Aaron Sheldon’s son, Harrison, refused to get off the bus, wanting to stay and watch the traffic and pedestrians. Although frustrated, Aaron realized that to his son, this wasn’t just one bus ride in a lifetime of similar bus rides, it was a new and exciting adventure. When Harrison got an ear infection and had to go to the doctor’s’ office, his father, hoping to give him the courage to sit on the examination table, asked “What kind of brave people have to go the doctor’s office?’ to which Harrison replied “Well how about [astronauts](http://time.com/3745861/leonov-spacewalk-50th-anniversary/)? Are astronauts brave?” Connecting the idea of the brave astronaut and the adventurous child, Aaron started a project that would be called _Small Steps Are Giant Leaps._ He photographed Harrison wearing a costume space suit, doing everyday things like laundry, getting a haircut, and, yes, riding the bus. The project, Aaron writes on his [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ssagl16/small-steps-are-giant-leaps) page, “is about reminding parents that, to our kids, this is a new and exciting world just waiting to be explored.” After a successful campaign, [_Small Steps Are Giant Leaps_](https://squareup.com/store/sheldon-image-design) became a book. But that wasn’t the end for the intrepid explorer. After someone at the Kennedy Space Center saw an image of Harrison, dressed in his space suit, holding a sign reading “Florida Space Coast or BUST”, the father-son team was invited to the complex for a special visit. The tiny astronaut saw the Atlantis space shuttle, touched a [moon](http://time.com/4433455/moon-express-robot-nasa/) rock, met veteran NASA astronaut Jon McBride, and got an up-close view of a [Saturn V](http://time.com/4255442/nasa-mars-next/) moon rocket. “Our job as parents”, Aaron wrote on his [website](https://squareup.com/store/sheldon-image-design), “is to act as \[our child’s\] mission control and co-pilot to make sure they can explore as much of their new world as possible.” See more images from the project on Instagram at [@smallstepsaregiantleaps](https://www.instagram.com/smallstepsaregiantleaps/).  Harrison Sheldon stands on the Apollo gantry at the Kennedy Space Center, July 18, 2016\. Harrison was invited to the Visitor center for a special visit as part of his father, Aaron Sheldon's, photography project Small Steps Are Giant Leaps. Aaron Sheldon  Harrison walks around the Apollo Saturn 5 Vault, July 18, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Harrison sits in the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Launch experience, July 19, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  During the visit, Harrison stands in front of the Saturn 5 shuttle, July 18, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Hanging out in the International Space Station exhibit, July 20, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Harrison stands in the Visitor Complex’s cupola, July 19, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Viewing a depiction of outer space in the Kennedy Space Center, July 19, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  In the space center's Forever Remembered Gallery, July 20, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Harrison receives flight instruction from Jon McBride, July 20, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Harrison sits in the Apollo Mission Control, July 18, 2016. Aaron Sheldon  Exploring the space center's re-entry exhibit, July 20, 2016. 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