New York Astronaut to Fly on Next Space Shuttle Mission

Mike Massimino, who is from Franklin Square, N.Y., will make his second
journey into orbit on space shuttle Atlantis' mission to service the Hubble
Space Telescope. Atlantis is targeted to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida on May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

To cover the launch of Atlantis on-site, U.S. reporters must request
credentials for Kennedy by May 1. The deadline for foreign reporters is April
19. Media representatives should submit requests online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA Television will feature prerecorded individual interviews with the crew
members beginning April 20. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule
information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Mission Specialist Massimino is making his second visit to Hubble. He is one
of seven astronauts who will fly on the space shuttle's fifth and final
servicing mission to Hubble. The 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to
make repairs and upgrades to the telescope, extending its life into the next
decade.

Massimino attended H. Frank Carey High School, Franklin Square, and earned his
bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Columbia University in 1984.
He received Master of Science degrees in mechanical engineering and technology
and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988. He earned a
mechanical engineer's degree in 1990 and a doctorate in mechanical engineering
in 1992, also both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

For Massimino's complete biography, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/massimin.html

For the latest information about the Hubble servicing mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

CONTACT: John Yembrick, Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-1100,
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov; or Candrea Thomas, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
+1-321-867-2468, candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov, both of NASA

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- April 7/

SOURCE NASA