January 8, 1997

Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/358-1639)

Eileen Hawley
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

Release: 97-5

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Astronaut Rich Clifford Departs NASA

Astronaut Michael "Rich" Clifford, a three-time Shuttle veteran, departed NASA on January 6 to join the Boeing Company as Flight Operations manager for the International Space Station Program.

"Rich has been a valuable asset and his contributions will be sorely missed," said David C. Leestma, director of Flight Crew Operations. "We wish him the best of luck in his new position and look forward to a continuing relationship with him as we move forward with assembly of the International Space Station."

Clifford joined NASA in July 1987 as a Space Shuttle Vehicle Integration engineer and was subsequently selected as an astronaut in 1990. His three Shuttle missions are STS-53 in December 1992, STS-59 in April 1994 and STS-76 in March 1996.

"I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with such dedicated people at the Johnson Space Center and within NASA for the last nine years," said Clifford. "I will continue my earnest support of human exploration of space in my new position with the Boeing Company."

In his new role, Clifford will be responsible for Space Station operations in conjunction with NASA's Mission Control Center and Flight Crew Operations Directorate. He will develop operational concepts for mission support and flight procedures.

For complete biographical information on Clifford and other astronauts, see the NASA Internet astronaut biography home page at address:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

text-only version of this release