ASTRONAUT RICH CLIFFORD DEPARTS NASA



January 8, 1997



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



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

<h4>Release: 97-5</h4> <h4>NOTE TO EDITORS:</h4> <h3>Astronaut Rich 
Clifford Departs NASA</h3> 

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/

	
-end-