Ed Campion                              November 6, 1998
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone:  281/483-5111)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-67

STS-95 CREW TO RETURN TO CELEBRATION IN HOUSTON

     Following the completion of their nine-day space flight, the 
STS-95 astronauts will return to a heroes' welcome, open to the 
public, Sunday, Nov. 8, at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space 
Center (JSC), Houston, TX.  If Discovery lands at the Kennedy 
Space Center (KSC), FL, or Edwards Air Force Base, CA, on 
Saturday, the astronauts will depart the landing site on Sunday 
morning and fly to Ellington Field for a crew return ceremony 
including their families planned for shortly after 1 p.m. EST.

     The ceremony to welcome home STS-95 Mission Commander Curt 
Brown; Pilot Steve Lindsey; Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, 
Steve Robinson and Pedro Duque; and Payload Specialists Chiaki 
Mukai and John Glenn will be held at Hanger 276 at Ellington 
Field.  Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown will lead the well-wishers at 
Ellington, marking the homecoming for DiscoveryŐs space travelers.

     The event, which will be carried live on NASA Television, is 
open to both the general public and the news media.  Because the 
arrival time of the crew may change, anyone planning to attend the 
event should call the JSC recorded news information line at either 
281/483-8600 or 281/483-6765 to get the latest updates on the 
crew's return. Mission credentials will provide members of the 
news media access to the ceremony.

      The crew members are expected to make brief remarks, but 
there will be no question-and-answer session for reporters. 

     The astronauts will also participate in a downtown Houston 
parade on Wednesday, November 11, VeteranŐs Day, as Mayor Brown 
leads the city in honoring the STS-95 crew.

      NASA Television can be seen on GE-2, Transponder 9C, at 85 
degrees West longitude, vertical polarization, with a frequency of 
3880 Mhz, and audio of 6.8 Mhz.

                                 - end -

ADDITIONAL EDITORS' NOTE FOR MEDIA WISHING TO COVER CREW DEPARTURE 
FROM FLORIDA:  If STS-95 lands at KSC as planned, the astronauts 
currently are scheduled to leave for Houston from the Cape 
Canaveral Air Station Skid Strip at approximately 10 a.m. EST 
Sunday, Nov. 8.  Media wishing to cover this activity should 
report to the KSC News Center no later than 8:30 a.m. EST Sunday 
for transport to the Skid Strip.  (Contact:  Bruce Buckingham at 
407/867-2468)