Sept. 11, 2009

Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979


Franco Bonacina
European Space Agency, Headquarters, Paris
33-1-5369-7713


RELEASE: 09-208

U.S. AND EUROPE AGREE ON CIVIL SPACE TRANSPORTATION COOPERATION

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and European Space
Agency (ESA) Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain signed a
memorandum of understanding Friday for cooperation in the field of
space transportation. The agreement was signed at NASA Headquarters
in Washington.

"From shuttle Spacelab missions to the International Space Station,
ESA has a long history of participating with NASA in human
spaceflight," Bolden said. "With this agreement, it is our intent to
continue to build this relationship, sharing valuable engineering
analyses and technology concepts that will help transport humans to
low Earth orbit and beyond."

The agreement will allow NASA and ESA to exchange technical
information and personnel, which will aid the eventual development of
new transportation systems. It is expected that ESA's Ariane 5
development and flight experience will provide valuable engineering
analyses and technology concepts for NASA's new launch and spacecraft
systems.

"The memorandum of understanding marks a new milestone in the already
very strong and long-lasting cooperation between ESA and NASA," said
ESA's Dordain. "The exchange of technical information this document
allows in the fields of space transportation will be beneficial to
both agencies and will facilitate our work toward future launch
systems, human spaceflight and exploration missions."

The exchanges of information will provide NASA with assistance in a
number of areas, including: composite material technology;
development of payload shrouds; and management of propellants in
spacecraft propulsion systems used for transit to and from lunar
orbit.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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