11.07.

05

Debbie V. Nguyen
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281/483-5111
RELEASE: JE05-015

NASA TO PRESENT STATE FLAG FLOWN IN SPACE TO SOUTH DAKOTA

SCHOOL

A South Dakota flag flown aboard space shuttle Discovery during the
STS-114 mission last July will be presented to Little Wound School in
Kyle, S.D., by NASA during a visit on Wednesday, Nov. 9, as part of a
NASA Explorer Schools activity. Astronaut Roger Crouch and Flight
Director Michael Sarafin will share the Vision for Space Exploration
with the future explorers at Little Wound during the event. Media are
welcome to attend.

When:
9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9

Who:
Astronaut Roger Crouch, Payload Specialist
Flight Director Michael Sarafin, NASA Johnson Space Center

Where:
Little Wound School, 100 Main St., Kyle, S.D., school gymnasium

A media availability will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the school library

following the program and classroom visits. Media interested in
arranging interviews with Crouch and Sarafin should contact Debbie V.
Nguyen at 832-567-1081 and Delores Pourier at 605-455-6160 for Little
Wound personnel.

A family night will be held at 4 p.m. at the school to engage parents

and discuss the importance of science and math education.

In 1997, Crouch logged more than 471 hours in space as a payload

specialist on shuttle missions STS-83 and STS-94, traveling 7.8
million miles in 314 orbits. He has served in key positions in
investigations and research groups, including program scientist on
five Spacelab flights. A Tennessee native, Crouch earned a bachelor's
degree in physics from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in 1962, and a
master's degree and a doctorate in physics from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute in 1968 and 1971, respectively.
From October 1995 until August 2005, Sarafin supported 31 space
shuttle missions as a guidance, navigation and control officer. He is
in training as a flight director for both the space shuttle and
International Space Station programs. Once trained and certified, he
will oversee the entire flight control team operating out of the
Mission Control Center to ensure safe and successful human
spaceflight missions. He is slated to be a space shuttle flight
director for the upcoming STS-119 and STS-120 missions.

The NASA Explorer Schools Program provides educators, students and

families with classroom resources and innovative technology based on
NASA’s unique research, discoveries and missions. During the
three-year partnership, NASA assists schools in addressing needs in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Little Wound was
selected as a NASA Explorer School in May 2005.

For information about the NASA Explorer Schools Program on the

Internet, visit:

http://explorerschools.nasa.gov

For more information about NASA and the Vision for Space Exploration
on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home

-end-