NASA, USDA Sign Space Station Research Agreement

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) hosted NASA
Administrator Michael Griffin and Secretary of Agriculture Edward T. Schafer
during the signing of a memorandum of understanding to enable the USDA's
Agricultural Research Service to conduct plant related research on the
International Space Station.

The research will improve our understanding of biological cellular mechanisms
and may lead to creative new ways to improve American agriculture, protect the
environment and contribute to better human health. The agreement reflects
NASA's ongoing efforts to develop the space station as a national laboratory,
with the ability to serve a broad range of users.

Senator Hutchison introduced the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, which
envisioned a cooperative relationship for the space station and NASA. This
agreement is the second of what NASA hopes will be many similar agreements
with other federal agencies, universities, and private sector research
organizations. The first NASA partnership agreement for use of the station as
a national laboratory was signed with the National Institutes of Health last
September.

For more information about the space station and its use as a national
laboratory, visit: www.nasa.gov/station

EDITORS NOTE: NASA Television will air video file footage of Wednesday's
signing ceremony with Hutchison, Griffin and Schafer starting at 6 p.m. EDT
today. High resolution photographs of the signing also will be available via
the NASA Web site at: www.nasa.gov

CONTACT: John Yembrick of NASA Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-0602,
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov; Matt Macokowiak of the Office of Senator Kay Bailey
Hutchison, Washington, +1-202-224-9782, matt_mackowiak@hutchison.senate.gov;
or Sandy Miller Hays of USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md.,
+1-301-504-1636, sandy.millerhays@ars.usda.gov

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- July 23/

SOURCE NASA