équipages STS-130 & STS-131

pas d'Européen sur ces 2 missions

NASA ASSIGNS ASTRONAUT CREWS FOR FUTURE SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS

WASHINGTON - NASA has assigned the crews for space shuttle missions
STS-130 and STS-131. The STS-130 mission will deliver a third
connecting module to the International Space Station and a
seven-windowed cupola to be used as a control room for robotics. The
STS-131 mission will deliver research and science experiment
equipment, a new sleeping area and supplies to the station in a
logistics module carried in the shuttle's payload bay.

Marine Col. George Zamka will command the shuttle Endeavour during
STS-130, targeted for launch in December 2009. Air Force Col. Terry
Virts, Jr., will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists are NASA
astronauts Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Behnken, Nicholas Patrick,
Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson. Virts will be making his first
trip to space.

Navy Capt. Alan Poindexter will command the shuttle Atlantis during
STS-131, targeted for launch in February 2010. Air Force Lt. Col.
James P. Dutton, Jr., will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists
are NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy
Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. Dutton,
Metcalf-Lindenburger and Yamazaki will be making their first trip to
space.

Zamka was born in Jersey City, N.J., and grew up in several cities
including Medellin, Colombia. He received a bachelor's degree from
the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree in engineering
management from the Florida Institute of Technology. He served as the
pilot on STS-120.

Virts was born in Baltimore and considers Columbia, Md., his hometown.
He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the U.S. Air Force
Academy and a master's degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University.

Behnken recently flew as a mission specialist on STS-123. Behnken
holds bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering and physics from
Washington University in St. Louis. He also has master's and
doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from the California
Institute of Technology. Behnken was born in Creve Coeur, Mo.

STS-130 will be the second flight for Nicholas Patrick, who flew as a
mission specialist on STS-116. Patrick was born in North Yorkshire in
the United Kingdom and considers London and Rye, N.Y., his hometowns.
He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from the
University of Cambridge and a doctorate in mechanical engineering
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Hire will again serve as a mission specialist on her second
spaceflight. Her first was STS-90. She holds a bachelor's degree from
the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree in space technology from
the Florida Institute of Technology. She was born in Mobile, Ala.

Stephen Robinson is a veteran of three spaceflights. Flying on STS-85,
STS-95 and STS-114, he has logged more than 830 hours in space. He
was born in Sacramento, Calif., and holds a bachelor's degree in
mechanical and aeronautical engineering from the University of
California and master's and doctorate degree in mechanical
engineering from Stanford University.

STS-131 will be the second spaceflight for Poindexter, who served as
the pilot on STS-122. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of
Technology with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering. He also
has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval
Postgraduate School. He was born in Pasadena, Calif.

Dutton joined NASA in 2004. His hometown is Eugene, Ore. He has a
bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air
Force Academy and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics
from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Mastracchio flew as a mission specialist on STS-106 and STS-118. He
was born in Waterbury, Conn., and earned a bachelor's degree in
electrical engineering and computer science from the University of
Connecticut. He also has master's degrees in electrical engineering
from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and physical science from the
University of Houston.

Anderson spent 152 days on the space station, as a flight engineer on
Expedition 15. He launched to the station as part of the STS-117 crew
and returned on the STS-120 mission. Anderson's hometown is Omaha,
Neb. He has a bachelor's degree in physics from Hastings College,
Neb., and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State
University.

Metcalf-Lindenburger was selected as an astronaut in 2004. She was
born in Colorado Springs, Colo., and considers Fort Collins her
hometown. She has a bachelor's degree in geology from Whitman College
in Walla Walla, Wash.

Wilson was born in Boston. This will be her third spaceflight. She
flew as a mission specialist on STS-121 and STS-120. Wilson received
a bachelor's degree in engineering science from Harvard University
and a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of
Texas.

Yamazaki was born in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. She holds both
bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from the
University of Tokyo. Yamazaki was selected by National Space
Development Agency of Japan (currently JAXA) as one of three
astronaut candidates in 1999 and joined NASA's astronaut candidates
for training in 2004.

Video of the STS-130 and STS-131 crew members will air on NASA
Television's Video File. For downlink and scheduling information and
links to streaming video, visit: