FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPACEHAB
ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT
WITH MAJOR SPACE STATION RESEARCH CUSTOMER
Microscope Facility to be Installed in Enterprise Module
Houston, Texas, June
11, 2002 - SPACEHAB Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS: SPAB), a leading provider of commercial
space services, today announced that its venture with RSC Energia, Space Station
Enterprise LLC, has finalized a contract agreement to fly a research facility
onboard the Enterprise module.
Enterprise, a commercial module designed to meet research, stowage, crew support, habitation and multimedia needs on the International Space Station (ISS), will provide on-orbit accommodations for a highly specialized Scanning Probe Microscope for Microgravity (SPMM) for the Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI). Currently scheduled to be launched in 2006, this equipment will support scientists working on advanced materials, nanostructures, biotechnology, and other microgravity experiments.
"We are very pleased that FSRI has reserved space on Enterprise for this exciting facility-class payload," said Mike Lounge, Space Station Enterprise General Manager. "This is the kind of collaboration between the public and private sector which will allow the International Space Station to fulfill its promise."
The Space Station Enterprise LLC is responsible for completing required financing for Enterprise and marketing and operating the facility, a multipurpose module planned as part of the ISS Russian Segment. SPACEHAB and Energia, through the Space Station Enterprise LLC, are seeking additional marketing and business opportunities for Enterprise, leveraging this unique access to space.
RSC Energia is a leading Russian aerospace company and one of the most experienced developers and manufacturers of aerospace hardware in the world. The organization's engineers have developed and built more than 320 types of spacecraft including the first low-earth orbiting Sputniks, Vostok manned spacecraft, and the orbiting space station Mir. RSC Energia is the prime contractor for the ISS Russian Segment. Space vehicle Soyuz-TM1 and Progress-M1 spacecraft, built by RSC Energia, provide efficient transportation in support of ISS operations.
With more than $100 million in annual revenue, SPACEHAB Inc. is a leading provider of commercial space services. The company develops, owns, and operates habitat and laboratory modules and cargo carriers aboard NASA's Space Shuttles. Its Johnson Engineering subsidiary supports astronaut training and space station configuration management at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and builds space-flight trainers and mockups. SPACEHAB's Astrotech subsidiary provides commercial satellite processing services at facilities in California and Florida. SPACEHAB's newest strategic growth initiative, SPACEHAB Huntsville, will provide customer-focused end-to-end services to the space research community at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Additionally, through The Space Store, Space Media provides space merchandise to the public and space enthusiasts worldwide (www.thespacestore.com).
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kimberly Campbell
Director of Marketing
SPACEHAB, Inc.
713.558.5049
campbell@spacehab.com