NASA Assigns Washington, D.C., Native to Upcoming Shuttle Mission

May 3, 2007

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-99

NASA ASSIGNS WASHINGTON, D.C., NATIVE TO UPCOMING SHUTTLE MISSION

WASHINGTON - NASA astronaut and Air Force Col. Benjamin Alvin Drew
will join the crew of the STS-118 space shuttle mission, targeted for
launch Aug. 9.

Drew, born in Washington, will take a seat that opened when astronaut
Clayton Anderson was moved to shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 flight, which
is targeted to launch June 8. Anderson will begin a long-duration
mission on the International Space Station, and current station crew
member Suni Williams will return to Earth aboard Atlantis.

Shuttle Endeavour will carry Drew on his first spaceflight. He will
serve as a mission specialist during STS-118, which will deliver
another segment to continue building the station by 2010. Navy Cmdr.
Scott Kelly will serve as STS-118's commander, and Marine Corps Lt.
Col. Charles Hobaugh will be the pilot. Mission specialists are Tracy
Caldwell, Ph.D., Rick Mastracchio, Barbara Morgan, the first educator
astronaut, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dr. Dave Williams.

Drew received bachelor's degrees in astronautical engineering and
physics from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs,
Colo., in 1984; a master's degree in aerospace science from Embry
Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1995; and a master's
degree in strategic studies in political science from the Air Force
Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 2006. He received
his commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force in May 1984.
He completed helicopter pilot training and flew combat missions in
operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Provide
Comfort. Drew was selected as an astronaut in 2000.

Training video of Drew will air on NASA TV's Video File. For downlink
and scheduling information and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more about the STS-118 crew and mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

www.nasa.gov/shuttle

-end-

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