FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPACEHAB GIVES FLORIDA STUDENTS ACCESS TO SPACE;
Donation
Extends S*T*A*R*S Program to Brevard County Schools
Washington, D.C., October 30, 2000 - SPACEHAB, Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS: SPAB), a leading provider of commercial space services, and its subsidiary, Space Media, Inc.™, today announced that SPACEHAB will sponsor opportunities for schools in Brevard County, Florida, to participate in Space Media's S*T*A*R*S® global space education program.
SPACEHAB is responding to a call from U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon (R-15th-FL) for businesses to support public education in their communities. The company's operations in Florida include a SPACEHAB Payload Processing Facility (SPPF) in Cape Canaveral and a payload processing facility in Titusville run by SPACEHAB subsidiary Astrotech Space Operations. Rep. Weldon's district includes Brevard County.
S*T*A*R*S (Space Technology And Research Students) is a global education initiative designed to engage students in science and technology and enable them to share in the excitement of space research and exploration. Brevard County students who participate in the S*T*A*R*S program will have access to online educational resources and activities and the opportunity to take part in an actual experiment to be flown in space in 2001.
Rep. Weldon and Space Media Vice President for Education Jim Royston announced SPACEHAB's donation at Westside Elementary School in Palm Bay, Florida. Westside is one of the Brevard County schools that will participate in S*T*A*R*S.
"I commend SPACEHAB and Space Media for stepping up to the plate to provide local students the opportunity to participate in the space program though innovative educational programs such as S*T*A*R*S," said Rep. Weldon. "This initiative is an example of how businesses can make a real contribution to their community, by getting students interested in math and science and inspiring them to pursue high technology career fields."
"I thank Congressman Weldon for encouraging more local business participation in our school system," said Brevard County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Richard DePatri. "The S*T*A*R*S program provides an excellent curriculum-centered math and science program, which encourages students to learn science and math concepts by engaging them in an interactive environment, while attracting and inspiring these young minds to dream about the possibilities of space research."
"As an aerospace business that has been operating in Brevard County for more than a decade, we believe it is important that we give back to the local community," said Royston. "We are especially committed to space education through our S*T*A*R*S program."
Space Media also announced the official kickoff of its classroom S*T*A*R*S website, www.starsprogram.com, which will allow students and teachers in the S*T*A*R*S program to use Web-based lessons. SPACEHAB's sponsorship of Westside Elementary and other Brevard County schools gives their students and teachers access to lessons and other activities that will be placed online throughout the rest of this year.
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