NASA SETS INTERVIEWS WITH NEXT SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT LISA NOWAK

April 24, 2006

Katherine Trinidad/Joe Pally
Headquarters, Washington
(202) 358-3749/7239

Doug Peterson
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(281) 483-5111

MEDIA ADVISORY: M06-073

NASA SETS INTERVIEWS WITH NEXT SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT LISA NOWAK

Washington, D.C.-area native and first-time space flier Lisa Nowak, a
robotics operator on the next space shuttle flight, is available for
satellite interviews from 5 to 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 26.

To participate, media should contact the Johnson Space Center newsroom
at (281) 483-5111 or Stephanie Stoll at (281) 483-9071 or her pager
(713) 508-0581 no later than 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 25.

Nowak will fly aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to the International
Space Station on a mission targeted for launch in July. Aboard
Discovery, she will operate both the shuttle and station robotic arms
to support station assembly tasks and spacewalks. The mission,
designated STS-121, also will continue an evaluation of new shuttle
flight safety procedures, including in-flight inspection and repair
techniques.

Nowak graduated from C.W. Woodward High School in Rockville, Md. She
received a bachelor's from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.,
and a master's in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval
Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. After receiving her Navy
commission in 1985, Nowak was stationed briefly at NASA's Johnson
Space Center, Houston, providing engineering support for the Shuttle
Training Aircraft. In 1987, she earned her wings as a naval flight
officer and flew in A-7, EA-7L and ERA-3B aircraft. She graduated
from the Naval Test Pilot School in 1994.

Nowak was selected as an astronaut in 1996. Nowak will fly on
Discovery with Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Mark Kelly and mission
specialists Stephanie Wilson, Mike Fossum and Piers Sellers. European
Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter will launch on Discovery but
remain on the station for several months. For more on the STS-121
mission and crew, including biographies, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

The interviews and b-roll of Nowak's training will be carried live on
the NASA TV analog satellite, AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude,
transponder 5C, 3800 MHz, vertical polarization, with audio at 6.8
MHz. The training b-roll will air from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT on
April 26. For digital downlink information and links to streaming
video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.nl