Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington, DC                      January 26, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1979)

Susan Povenmire
U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC
(Phone:  202/647-3486)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-8

SPACE STATION AGREEMENTS TO BE 
SIGNED AT U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

          Senior government officials from 15 countries will sign 
agreements on the International Space Station at the U.S. 
Department of State on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 4 p.m. EST.  The 
agreements establish the framework for cooperation among the 
partners for the design, development, operation and utilization of 
the Space Station.

          Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will sign the 1998 
Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation, along 
with representatives of Russia, Japan, Canada and participating 
countries of the European Space Agency (Belgium, Denmark, France, 
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, 
Switzerland and the United Kingdom).

          Three bilateral memoranda of understanding also will be 
signed by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin separately with his 
counterparts:  Russian Space Agency General Director Yuri Koptev, 
European Space Agency Director General Antonio Rodota and Canadian 
Space Agency President William (Mac) Evans.  The memorandum 
between NASA and the government of Japan will be signed at a later 
date.

          The signing ceremony will take place in the Dean Acheson 
Auditorium at the Department of State.  U.S. media interested in 
covering the ceremony should have one of the following U.S. 
government press credentials:  U.S. Department of State, NASA, the 
White House, Department of Defense, Capitol Hill or USIAÕs Foreign 
Press Center.  International media should have accredited press 
credentials from their country of origin.

          All media should enter the Department of State at the 
23rd Street entrance.  Cameras and still photographers can arrive 
for set up at 3 p.m. EST.  Print media should plan to arrive at 
3:30 p.m. EST. 

                       - end-