December 19, 2001

Kirsten Larson
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-0243)

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

Release: N01-75

NOTE TO EDITORS:

NASA's Mission Control to Help Santa

NASA flight controllers in Houston will transform themselves into Santa's helpers this Christmas Eve, guiding the jolly soul on his appointed rounds.

With the assistance of the International Space Station crew in orbit, space station flight controllers in NASA's Mission Control will monitor Santa's speed, reindeer performance and cargo of presents for children throughout the world.

"With three people living on the space station, we have a unique vantage point to help Santa on his rounds," said Matt Abbott, flight director. "We have Yury Onufrienko, Dan Bursch and Carl Walz on board the station ready to help us out with real-time Santa sightings, and our flight control team is ready for this opportunity." Mission Control Houston, home to legendary flight directors and expert flight control teams, will for a short time this Christmas Eve become "Santa Control, Houston."

"Santa Control, Houston" will be shown on NASA Television during the NASA Video File December 24, which will air at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST. NASA TV is available on GE2, transponder 9C. The frequency is 3880 MHz with an orbital position of 85 degrees West Longitude, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

More information on the Expedition Four crew and the International Space Station can be found on the Internet at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

text-only version of this release