Jacques van Oene
November 12th 05, 02:50 PM
Eileen Hawley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281/483-8456
James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281/483-4934
Dean Acosta
Headquarters, Washington
202/358-1400
11.07.05
RELEASE: J05-055
NASA Names Former Astronaut New Johnson Center Director
Michael L. Coats has been named director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Coats is a former astronaut, and he currently is vice president of Lockheed
Martin Astronautics in Denver. He will become the ninth person to serve as
director in the center's 44-year history.
"Mike Coats brings a perfect blend of experience to his new role as the head
of the nation's primary center for human spaceflight development and
operations," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "As a former pilot and
astronaut, and a long-time aerospace industry executive, he knows what our
next generation of manned spacecraft must be able to do, and he knows what
it takes to produce them. I'm delighted to welcome Mike back home to NASA."
Coats joined NASA in 1978 as a member of the first astronaut class
specifically selected to fly the space shuttle. He flew three shuttle
missions, the first as pilot for the maiden flight of Discovery in 1984. He
commanded two subsequent shuttle missions, logging a total of more than 463
hours in space. Before joining NASA he was a distinguished U.S. Navy
aviator. He logged more than 5,000 hours of flight time in 28 different
types of aircraft. He retired from NASA and the Navy in August 1991.
"I look forward to returning to the Johnson Space Center, and I am honored
by the trust Mike Griffin has shown in me," Coats said. "We will embrace the
challenge of the new Constellation program that will take us first to the
moon, and then on to Mars. At the same time, the contributions of the space
shuttle and international space station will be critical steps in that
journey and we remain committed to their success."
Coats replaces Jefferson D. Howell, Jr., who is on assignment as a visiting
professor to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the
University of Texas at Austin.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home
- end -
--
--------------------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281/483-8456
James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281/483-4934
Dean Acosta
Headquarters, Washington
202/358-1400
11.07.05
RELEASE: J05-055
NASA Names Former Astronaut New Johnson Center Director
Michael L. Coats has been named director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Coats is a former astronaut, and he currently is vice president of Lockheed
Martin Astronautics in Denver. He will become the ninth person to serve as
director in the center's 44-year history.
"Mike Coats brings a perfect blend of experience to his new role as the head
of the nation's primary center for human spaceflight development and
operations," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "As a former pilot and
astronaut, and a long-time aerospace industry executive, he knows what our
next generation of manned spacecraft must be able to do, and he knows what
it takes to produce them. I'm delighted to welcome Mike back home to NASA."
Coats joined NASA in 1978 as a member of the first astronaut class
specifically selected to fly the space shuttle. He flew three shuttle
missions, the first as pilot for the maiden flight of Discovery in 1984. He
commanded two subsequent shuttle missions, logging a total of more than 463
hours in space. Before joining NASA he was a distinguished U.S. Navy
aviator. He logged more than 5,000 hours of flight time in 28 different
types of aircraft. He retired from NASA and the Navy in August 1991.
"I look forward to returning to the Johnson Space Center, and I am honored
by the trust Mike Griffin has shown in me," Coats said. "We will embrace the
challenge of the new Constellation program that will take us first to the
moon, and then on to Mars. At the same time, the contributions of the space
shuttle and international space station will be critical steps in that
journey and we remain committed to their success."
Coats replaces Jefferson D. Howell, Jr., who is on assignment as a visiting
professor to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the
University of Texas at Austin.
For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home
- end -
--
--------------------------------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info