SPACEHAB CELEBRATES LAUNCH AND ACTIVATION OF COMMERCIAL PAYLOAD Company Shows that Access to Space is Available Today
Houston, Texas, August 16, 2004 – SPACEHAB,
Incorporated (NASDAQ/NMS: SPAB), a leading provider of commercial space services,
today announced that it has successfully delivered a thermal incubator to the
International Space Station (ISS) for one of its international customers.
SPACEHAB is providing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) with launch
and on-orbit use of a protein crystal growth incubation system under a contract
with Mitsubishi Corporation, SPACEHAB's marketing representative in Japan.
In an unprecedented schedule of less than nine months, SPACEHAB and its subcontractors
were able to finalize contracts and then design, build, test, certify, ship,
and launch the experiment facility onboard a Russian Progress vehicle which
lifted off last Wednesday, August 11, 2004 from the Baikonur cosmodrome .
"Even with the temporary grounding of the space shuttle, SPACEHAB is pleased
that we are able to offer timely and affordable commercial access to space
via our international alliance with RSC Energia, Russia's largest space company,"
said Michael E. Kearney, SPACEHAB President and Chief Executive Officer.
The cargo ship, an unmanned vehicle loaded with supplies and equipment, docked
to the orbiting space station on Saturday where cosmonauts then successfully
transferred and installed the experiment hardware in the Russian segment of
the ISS. Three sets of protein experiments will be conducted through October
2005 at which time JAXA has an option to acquire extended use of the hardware
from SPACEHAB.
Kearney added, “We believe that this significant accomplishment, and others
like it performed by SPACEHAB in the past, clearly demonstrate private industry's
ability to find commercial solutions for space access, and that we are equipped
with the resources, expertise, and most importantly, the flexibility to achieve
customer needs.”
About SPACEHAB,
Incorporated
SPACEHAB, Incorporated (www.spacehab.com) is a leading
provider of commercial and government space services with three primary business
units. The Flight Services business unit develops, owns, and operates habitat
and laboratory modules and cargo carriers aboard NASA's Space Shuttles for Space
Station resupply and research purposes. SPACEHAB's Astrotech subsidiary provides
payload processing support services for both commercial and government customers
at company-owned facilities in Florida and California. The Company's Government
Services business unit supports NASA's Johnson Space Center providing configuration
management, product engineering, and support services for both the Space Station
and Space Shuttle programs. Additionally, through The Space Store, Space Media
provides space merchandise to the public and space enthusiasts worldwide (www.thespacestore.com).
The statements in this document may contain "forward-looking
statements" within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in
the statements. In addition to those risks and uncertainties discussed herein,
such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether the Company
will fully realize the economic benefits under its U.S. National Aeronautics
and Space Administration ("NASA") and other customer contracts, whether
NASA and other customers will continue to utilize the Company's habitat modules
and related commercial space assets, whether plans to complete the International
Space Station ("ISS") are fulfilled, continued availability and use
of the U.S. Space Shuttle system, technological difficulties, product demand
and market acceptance risks, the effect of economic conditions, uncertainty in
government funding, the impact of competition, delays and uncertainties in future
space shuttle and ISS programs, resolution of the Company's indemnification claim
with NASA arising from the loss of the Columbia orbiter and its crew
during the STS-107 mission, and other risks described in reports filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation
to update these forward-looking statements.
For more information, contact:
Kimberly
Campbell
Vice President
Corporate Marketing and Communications
SPACEHAB, Inc.
Phone 713.558.5049
campbell@spacehab.com
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