Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington, DC                   November 13, 1997
(Phone:  202/358-1779) 

RELEASE 97-264

TRAFTON ANNOUNCES HIS DEPARTURE FROM NASA

     Wilbur C. Trafton, Associate Administrator for the Office of 
Space Flight at NASA Headquarters, has announced his intention to 
leave NASA, effective next month.  NASA is proceeding with  the 
search for a successor.

     Trafton has been the space agency's top official for human 
space flight since March 1996.  During his tenure, the Space 
Shuttle has safely and successfully flown 13 missions, and the 
International Space Station program has moved from planning to the 
production of almost a quarter-of-a-million pounds of flight 
hardware.

     "I have been enormously privileged to lead this terrific team 
of talented people who make up the wide range of programs 
represented by the Office of Space Flight," Trafton said.  "I could 
not be prouder of my association with them, or of the work we have 
done together."

"Wil Trafton has met or exceeded all of the challenges I have 
placed before him," NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin said.  
"Through his superior leadership of the Human Exploration and 
Development of Space enterprise and its many complex programs, the 
agency is in a better position to meet its goals in space and to do 
so safely."

     Trafton came to NASA as director of the Space Station program 
in January 1994.  In that position he was responsible for overall 
planning, budgeting and management of the International Space 
Station, a joint project between the United States, Russia, the 
European Space Agency, Japan and Canada.

     During Trafton's time in the top Space Station and Office of 
Space Flight positions, Russia joined the Station program as a full 
partner.  The Space Station, the largest international scientific 
cooperative effort in history, now involves 16 nations, has 
produced 225,000 pounds of flight-ready hardware, and is less than 
one year from launch of the first components.  During the same 
time, the Space Shuttle program has embarked on an extensive 
hardware upgrade project and instituted a single prime contractor.

     Trafton said he would announce his future plans at a later 
date.

                     -end-