NASA Astronauts, Exercise Exhibit To Be At Houston Marathon Events

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 11, 2008) Runners and exercise enthusiasts of all ages are invited to visit NASA's exhibit and meet astronauts this weekend at the Roger Clemens Institute EXPO leading up to the Chevron Houston Marathon. The exhibit will be in the George R. Brown Convention Center - Hall D on Friday and Saturday.

Visitors can learn how astronauts exercise in space at the exhibit, which will feature information and a treadmill representative of one of the exercise methods on the International Space Station. NASA's exhibit will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Jose Hernandez and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger will meet the public and sign autographs on Saturday. The autographs are 11 a.m. to noon for Williams, noon to 1 p.m. for Hernandez and 1 to 2 p.m. for Metcalf-Lindenburger. In addition to autograph sessions, the trio will participate in Sunday's marathon.

Williams is the record-holder for the longest duration spaceflight by a woman and most spacewalking hours by a female. She set the records during a 195-day mission aboard the International Space Station, which began Dec. 9, 2006, and concluded June 22, 2007. She served as a flight engineer for the station's Expedition 14 and 15 crews and accrued more than 29 hours working outside the station during four spacewalks. Williams became the first person to run a marathon in space in April when she ran the Boston marathon on the station's treadmill.

Hernandez was tabbed to join NASA's astronaut corps in May 2004. He is qualified for future flight assignment as a mission specialist. Prior to becoming an astronaut, Hernandez worked as an engineer for 14 years at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., and for three years at Johnson Space Center.

Metcalf-Lindenburger was selected by NASA in May 2004 and is qualified for future flight assignments as a mission specialist. Metcalf-Lindenburger has five years of experience teaching Earth science and astronomy.

Also making an appearance this weekend is Cosmo, NASA's inflatable astronaut. Cosmo will be at the EXPO exhibit on Friday and Saturday and will provide encouragement to the runners on race day at the marathon's half-way point at Richmond and Montrose.