LATEST SHUTTLE FLIGHT MARKS SPACEHAB's 15TH MISSION AND ITS THIRD SPACE STATION RESUPPLY MISSION
Washington, D.C., September 8, 2000 - SPACEHAB, Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS: SPAB), a leading provider of commercial space services, today embarked upon its 15th Space Shuttle mission with the launch of the orbiter Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning. Designated STS-106, this flight is SPACEHAB's third resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and its 10th space logistics mission.
Atlantis is carrying a SPACEHAB Logistics Double Module (LDM), Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), and SPACEHAB Oceaneering Space Systems (SHOSS) box packed with equipment and supplies for the ISS. U.S. and Russian cargo aboard SPACEHAB's carriers includes fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and gas masks for each of the three "Expedition 1" crew members who will board the ISS later this fall; food and water supplies and personal hygiene items; trash bags; tools for intravehicular and extravehicular use; cameras; exercise equipment; TV/data and radio telemetry cables; assorted critical spare parts; and office supplies.
"The International Space Station is about to open for business, and SPACEHAB is pleased to play a part in this momentous undertaking," said SPACEHAB Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Shelley A. Harrison.
"These resupply missions to the ISS are critical to the future of space exploration and development," said SPACEHAB President David A. Rossi. "They also provide SPACEHAB with a recurring source of revenue that is important to our business."
SPACEHAB is the industry leader in the business of space station resupply. Under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the company supported seven missions to resupply the Russian Mir space station and the first two resupply missions to the ISS, as well as this third mission launched today.
The STS-106 crew of astronauts and cosmonauts will transfer the contents of SPACEHAB's carriers to the Zvezda, Zarya, and Unity modules of the ISS, in preparation for the arrival of the first ISS crew, scheduled to launch from Russia on October 30.
The same complement of SPACEHAB cargo carriers that NASA is using for STS-106 also flew on the second ISS resupply mission, STS-101, launched in May. Once the company's carriers were returned to the SPACEHAB Payload Processing Facility (SPPF) in Florida following the conclusion of STS-101, SPACEHAB had only 42 days to refurbish and repack its carriers for delivery to NASA in time for STS-106 launch preparations. The company delivered on time.
Cargo manifests for resupply missions (Mir and ISS) have been subject to change down to just weeks before launch. SPACEHAB has proved that it can readily provide this necessary flexibility. "SPACEHAB's professionalism and attention to detail played a large part in making STS-101 the super-successful mission it appears to have been," said SPACEHAB's NASA contract technical manager Tom McPherson at the conclusion of STS-101 mission operations.
"With regular space station resupply missions, the development of our Enterprise™ commercial space station module, and the establishment of our new Space Media, Inc.™ subsidiary, SPACEHAB is leading the way in space commerce. We have made it our business to support people living and working in space - the astronauts and cosmonauts who use our modules on Shuttle missions," said Dr. Harrison. "Through television and Internet broadcasting from Enterprise, we intend to bring this unique experience to worldwide audiences here on Earth." (Space Media recently acquired The Space Store, an online retail operation, anticipating that e-commerce may be an integral part of its Internet business. See http://www.thespacestore.com to browse The Space Store for space-related items.)
Founded in 1984, with more than $100 million in annual revenue, SPACEHAB, Inc., is a leading provider of commercial space services. The company is the first to develop, own, and operate habitat modules and cargo carriers providing laboratory facilities and resupply capabilities aboard NASA's Space Shuttles. It also supports astronaut training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, builds space-flight trainers and mockups. SPACEHAB's Astrotech subsidiary provides commercial satellite processing services at facilities in Florida and California in support of a range of expendable launch vehicles, including Lockheed Martin's Atlas and Boeing's Delta and Sea Launch rockets. SPACEHAB's newest strategic growth initiative, Space Media, Inc. (SMI™, a subsidiary), will bring space into homes and classrooms worldwide with television and Internet broadcasting from the International Space Station.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether the company will fully realize the economic benefits under its NASA and other customer contracts, the timing and mix of Space Shuttle missions, the successful development and commercialization of new space assets, technological difficulties, product demand, timing of new contracts, launches and business, market acceptance risks, the effect of economic conditions, uncertainty in government funding, the impact of competition, and other risks detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Linda Billings
Director
of Communications
SPACEHAB,
Inc.
202/488-3500;
toll-free 888/647-9543
billings@hqspacehab.com