SPACEHAB Geared For Space Shuttle Return To Flight

From: Jacques van Oene (oene0072_at_planet.nl)
Date: 02/08/05 

Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 22:55:10 +0100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPACEHAB GEARED FOR SPACE SHUTTLE RETURN TO FLIGHT

Company Logistics Capabilities on International Space Station Begin in Force

Houston, Texas, February 8, 2005 - SPACEHAB, Incorporated (NASDAQ/NMS:
SPAB), a leading provider of commercial space services, today announced that
it is on task and ahead of schedule in preparations for the Space Shuttle
Discovery's next mission, STS-114, to the International Space Station (ISS)
scheduled for launch in May of this year.

The anticipated mission will include SPACEHAB's External Stowage Platform 2,
or ESP2, a modified version of the Company's Integrated Cargo Carrier
system, which will essentially carry replacement parts, known as Orbital
Replacement Units (ORU), to the orbiting ISS. This resupply platform will be
attached to the space station's airlock, and will mark SPACEHAB's first
permanent hardware residence on the ISS.
The ESP2 consists of two major components, the keel yoke assembly and the
deployable pallet, the first of which will be delivered tomorrow to NASA's
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida and installed into the space shuttle.
Shortly following this activity, the ORUs will be installed onto the pallet
at SPACEHAB's Payload Processing Facility. The outfitted pallet will then be
transported to KSC and integrated into the shuttle by mid-April.

Training operations have commenced, beginning with mission control support
activities that will be performed by the SPACEHAB team during the mission.
Following is astronaut training for both the STS-114 and STS-121 crew
members. The first group will focus on integration and installation of the
ESP2 onto the ISS airlock while the second team will be responsible for
utilizing any of the spare parts housed on the pallet to support ISS
assembly and operations.

"This resupply pallet is just one of the varying logistics capabilities we
offer," said Michael E. Kearney, SPACEHAB President and Chief Executive
Officer. "Use of the ESP2 carrier on the STS-114 mission is opening doors to
other ISS missions, beginning with STS-118, where similar services will be
provided." SPACEHAB intends to expand its competency for working and living
in space to other low Earth orbit programs as well as to NASA's space
exploration initiative to the moon and beyond.

.
For more information, contact:
Kimberly Campbell
Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications
SPACEHAB, Inc.
Phone 713.558.5049
campbell@spacehab.com 

-- 
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info

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