FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2003

SPIDERS AND SILKWORMS AND BEES - OH MY!
Students to Fly Experiments on Upcoming NASA Shuttle Mission

Houston, TX - SPACEHAB, Incorporated (NASDAQ/NMS: SPAB) - The STARS Program is a one-of-a-kind adventure that lets students send actual experiments into space. Students, turned Payload Specialists, from the USA (Harvester Ants in Space), Australia (Garden Orb Weaver Spiders), China (Silkworm Zero-G Life Cycle), Israel (Chemical Garden), Japan (Flight of the Medaka Fish) and Liechtenstein (Spice Bees in Space) will all have experiments onboard the upcoming NASA STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia scheduled for launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

NASA, SPACEHAB, and STARS Program students have been preparing for this mission for over two years. During this sixteen-day research flight over 100 experiments are expected to take place onboard Columbia including those conducted by the six lead schools participating in the STARS Program. These 'future scientists' from each of these schools had the unforgettable experience of working with engineers, astronauts, and space experts to design and develop these fascinating experiments and will now have the opportunity to see their projects come to life in space.

The STARS Program, a product of Space Media, a subsidiary of SPACEHAB, Inc., is a commercial educational initiative designed to stimulate students' imagination and encourage interest in science topics related to space research. STARS challenges students to play the role of Payload Specialist and, in turn, promotes interest in engineering, mathematical, and scientific careers. It is a hands-on, interactive learning experience offering the ability to design and fly an actual experiment onboard a NASA Space Shuttle or the International Space Station. SPACEHAB and various corporate sponsors have provided funding for this distinctive opportunity in support of the scientific and educational community.

Through the STARS Program, students participate in design reviews that lead to the development of an experiment hypothesis, hardware design, and implementation procedures. Three months prior to launch, the students join forces for mission simulation testing to ensure that the experiment will be loaded properly and operates successfully. Within a week of the mission, the students head to Florida to prepare their experiment for flight. And just hours before launch, the students are taken to a VIP viewing location to see their experiment blast off into space. Live experiment data, including video, pictures, and environmental conditions are then provided via the Internet at www.starsacademy.com.

For the STS-107 mission, these STARS participants from around the world are gathering this week in Florida to begin launch preparations. With a fully loaded, 'critter-filled' STARS experiment locker and an identical ground control system, the six unique experiments will provide exciting insight into the mysteries of microgravity. As these teams of students have discovered throughout this unforgettable journey, it starts as an idea, is developed into a solution, and becomes a reality.

PRESS OPPORTUNITY:
The STARS students and support team will be available for interviews and photo opportunities in Florida prior to the launch of STS-107. Please contact Kimberly Campbell (information below) for time and location information.