Orbiting astronaut calls spaceship one flight "fantastic"

Melissa Mathews
Headquarters, Washington June 21, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-1272)

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

RELEASE: 04-200

ORBITING ASTRONAUT CALLS SPACESHIPONE FLIGHT 'FANTASTIC'

Astronaut Mike Fincke, who is living and working on board
the International Space Station, conveyed his congratulations
to the SpaceShipOne team during space-to-ground communications
today.

"Fantastic!" Fincke said upon hearing the news that test pilot
Mike Melvill had successfully completed the first privately
funded suborbital human space flight. "We were wishing them
the best of luck. We're all in the space business together,
helping mankind get off the planet and explore the stars."

"We're really proud of them, and please, if possible, extend
to them our happiest congratulations," he said to the flight
controllers in Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space
Center in Houston.

Later, Fincke discussed the SpaceShipOne achievement with NASA
Administrator Sean O'Keefe. NASA Television will air the full
audio transmission of Fincke's comments and his conversation
with the NASA Administration beginning at 6 p.m. EDT today
during the Video File feed.

NASA Television is available on AMC-9, transponder 9C, C-Band,
located at 85 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0
MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80
MHz. For information about NASA TV on the Internet, visit:

www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on Fincke's mission aboard the
International Space Station, visit:

www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/index.html

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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info