Date: July 20th 2006

July 20, 2006

Allard Beutel Headquarters, Washington 202-358-4769

Doug Peterson Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111

RELEASE: 06-283

NASA ASSIGNS CREW FOR COLUMBUS SHUTTLE MISSION

NASA has assigned crew members to the space shuttle mission that will deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station

A veteran space flier, Navy Cmdr Stephen N Frick, will command the STS-122 shuttle mission to deliver the lab to the station Navy Cmdr Alan G Poindexter will serve as pilot Mission specialists include Air Force Col Rex J Walheim, Stanley G Love, Leland D Melvin and European Space Agency astronaut Hans Schlegel Poindexter, Love and Melvin will be making their first spaceflight

STS-122 will be Frick's second spaceflight A native of Gibsonia, Pa , he served as pilot of shuttle mission STS-110, a flight to the station in 2002 He is a graduate of the U S Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md , and the U S Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif Poindexter, a Pasadena, Calif , native, also has a master's from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor's from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

Walheim, who considers San Carlos, Calif , his hometown, also flew on shuttle mission STS-110 in 2002 and is a veteran of two spacewalks He has a bachelor's from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's from the University of Houston Melvin is a native of Lynchburg, Va , and has a bachelor's from the University of Richmond and a master's from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Love, a Eugene, Ore , native, has a bachelor's from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif , and a master's and doctorate from the University of Washington Schlegel, a native of Aachen, Germany, has a master's degree from the University of Aachen His first flight was on shuttle mission STS-55 in 1993

Video of the STS-122 crew members will air on NASA TV's Video File Video File airs on the Media Channel (Program 103) at 6-8 and 9-11 a m ; 12-2 and 4-7 p m ; and 10 p m -midnight All times are Eastern For NASA TV downlink and scheduling information and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www nasa gov/ntv For complete astronaut biographical information, visit:

http://www jsc nasa gov/Bios For more information about NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:

http//:www nasa gov/shuttle

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