Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington DC              June 9, 1997
(Phone:  202/358-1639)

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

RELEASE:  97-126

SPACEWALKERS NAMED FOR SPACE STATION ASSEMBLY FLIGHTS

     A cadre of 14 Space Shuttle astronauts has begun intensive 
training in preparation for the spacewalks required for on-orbit 
construction of the International Space Station.

     "It is important for us to begin work now to train the crews 
who will support Space Station assembly flights," said David C. 
Leestma, director of Flight Crew Operations.  "These crew members 
will be exceptionally busy preparing for some challenging and 
demanding tasks, from initial assembly through installation of the 
robotic arm and an airlock for station-based spacewalks.  We 
expect that these assignments may be refined in the future, with 
additional tasks as mission requirements dictate."

     The first astronauts assigned to train for space station 
assembly tasks were 
Jerry L. Ross (Col., USAF) and James H. Newman, Ph.D., who were 
named to the STS-88 crew in August 1996.  Training will now expand 
to include Leroy Chiao, Ph.D.; 
Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., (Lt. Cmdr., USN); Michael L. Gernhardt, 
Ph.D.; Canadian Astronaut Chris A. Hadfield (Lt. Col., CAF); 
Thomas D. Jones, Ph.D; Mark C. Lee (Col., USAF); Michael Lopez-
Alegria (Cmdr., USN); William S. "Bill" McArthur, Jr., (Col., 
USA); 
Carlos I. Noriega (Major, USMC); James F. Reilly, II, Ph.D.; 
Joseph R. Tanner; and 
Peter J.K. "Jeff" Wisoff, Ph.D.

     The specific assignments for these U.S. assembly flights, 
through August 1999, are:

Flight/Crew Members                Date            Payload

STS-88/Jerry Ross and Jim Newman   July 9, 1998    Node 1;
ISSA-2A                                                        
Connect power cables

STS-92/Leroy Chiao; Jeff Wisoff    January 1999   Integrated Truss
ISSA-3A   Michael Lopez-Alegria                   Portable Mating 
           and Bill McArthur                        Adapter

STS-97/Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega   March 1999    Photovoltaic 
module
ISSA-4A

STS-98/Mark Lee and Tom Jones      May 1999       U.S. Lab Module
ISSA-5A

STS-99/Chris Hadfield and          June 1999      Lab outfitting;
ISSA-6A  Robert Curbeam                        Remote Manipulating 
                                                     System 

STS-100/Mike Gernhardt and         August 1999    Joint Airlock, 
ISSA-7A  James Reilly                             High Pressure 
                                                   Gas Assembly

     "The assignment of these crew members is a critical element 
in our ability to bring together the elements of the space station 
on the ground and then successfully assemble them in orbit," said 
Randy Brinkley, Space Station program manager.  "I am highly 
pleased with the level of expertise and dedication these crew 
members bring to the program."

     Each of the astronauts named for these assembly flights has 
previous spaceflight experience, with the exception of Curbeam, 
who will make his first flight in July 1997, and Reilly, who will 
make his first flight in January 1998.  Ross, Newman, Chiao, 
Wisoff, Tanner, Lee and Gernhardt all have performed spacewalks 
during their previous flights.  The remaining astronauts, Lopez-
Alegria, McArthur, Noriega, Jones, Curbeam, Reilly and Hadfield 
are training for their first spacewalks.  When Hadfield conducts 
his scheduled spacewalk in June 1999, he will become the first 
Canadian to walk in space.

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

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

     For information on the International Space Station, visit the 
Space Station home page at address: 

                       http://station.nasa.gov

                               -end-