SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A./C #31468

Mar. 23, 2007

Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749

Tracy Young Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468

Lynnette Madison Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111

NASA SET TO WELCOME JAPANESE SPACE STATION COMPONENT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will hold a ceremony April 17 at 9 a.m. EDT to officially welcome a new International Space Station component to the Kennedy Space Center. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module arrived at Kennedy March 12 to begin preparations for its future launch.

The Japanese Experiment Module will be carried into space on three shuttle missions. Known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese, it is Japan's primary contribution to the station. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section will serve as an on-orbit storage area for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold up to eight experiment racks and will attach to the top of another larger pressurized module. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section is targeted for launch aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-123.

International media must apply by 5 p.m. on April 6 at:

For more information on Kibo and the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-