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SHUTTLE CREW TO VISIT PORTSMOUTH

The space crew due to blast off onboard Atlantis from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre tonight (Friday May 14) on one of the shuttle’s final missions willvisitPortsmouth – the first official stop on a post-flight European tour, it has been announced today.

The six-strong team, led by Mission Commander Ken Ham, is expected to spend Sunday June 27 and Monday June 28 in the city meeting as many young people as possible in a series of special events, including plans for a presentation at Fratton Park to which pupils and students across the South are being invited.

Commander Ham and his crew, Garrett Reisman, Steve Bowen, Tony Antonelli, Michael Good and British-born Piers Sellers are due to be accompanied by top NASA personnel, including a flight director and an astronaut trainer following their 12 day mission to the International Space Station.

The groundbreaking visitis beingarranged by the International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET) and is designed to promote education, particularly in science, mathematics and engineering, and to motivate young people to fulfil their goals.

ISSET Director Mr Chris Barber has forged strong links with keen space enthusiast Mr Jeremy Thomas, Deputy Head of Physics at The Portsmouth Grammar School, who regularly takes students to NASA. He invited the school in partnership with organisations across the city to host the astronauts after Mr Thomas returned from such a trip with four Sixth Form astrophysics students this Easter.

The Portsmouth Grammar School has teamed up with Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth University’s Institute of Cosmology and is approaching other hi-tech defence, security and aerospace companies to help maximise the potential of the trip.

PGS Headmaster Mr James Priory said: ‘While the countdown to blast off for Atlantis’ mission STS-132 at 19.20 BST today continues in Florida, the clock is ticking away here in anticipation of this very exciting visit.

"I personally hope schoolchildren not just in Portsmouth but all across the South will follow the missionon-line knowing that theastronauts could soon be with us, fresh from their latest adventure into outer space.

‘The purpose of the crew’s UK tour is to inspire young people, not to necessarily teach them about space exploration and physics, but to reach for the skies. They think of themselves as ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

‘We are delighted that Portsmouthwill bethe first official stop on their two week tour. It is very fitting given that Portsmouth and its neighbouring towns are home to so many aerospace industries. In addition, I know that the cosmologists at Portsmouth University will want to congratulate one of our visiting astronauts, Michael Good, who successfully made two of the spacewalks last year to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope!’

The visit is subject to the mission's successful launch today andany changes made by NASA. Organisers areputting the final touches to the itinerary, butit is hoped that the astronauts will deliver a motivational presentation toschool pupils and college students at Fratton Park Football Stadium on the final day of their stay.

Any school wishing to bring pupils to this proposed event should contact PGS Development Director Mr Alasdair Akass on 02392 364248 or at development@pgs.org.uk

More information on Mission STS-132 is available at

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts132/index.html

Press contact: PGS Director of Development Mr Alasdair Akass on

02392 364248

Diane Paxman: PGS Publicity and Marketing on

07887 516035

Issued: Friday May 14 2010

Note to journalists: A complete NASA Press pack with images on Mission STS-132 is available to download at: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/451029main_sts132_press_kit2.pdf