Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington, DC                                                               
July 10, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1761)


NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-45

NASA LANDS AT THE NAACP CONVENTION 

     NASA will join the National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People (NAACP) during the organization's annual convention on 
July 11-16, 1998, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA.

     Astronauts Yvonne Cagle, Joan Higginbotham and Stephanie Wilson 
will join a host of NASA officials to exhibit a full-scale mockup of 
the International Space Station.  The two trailers that house the 
mockup invite visitors to a unique environment in which six 
international astronauts will live and work for months at a time.  The 
modules feature interactive, hands-on exhibits including the astronaut 
bed, a full-scale bathroom with shower, and science workstations.  

     Also featured at the convention is a Mars exhibit with a model of 
the Sojourner Rover, a diversity educational exhibit highlighting some 
of NASA's educational initiatives, a Human Exploration and Development 
of Space (HEDS) enterprise wall, a technology spin-off display, a 10-
foot tall Space Shuttle and a NASA video wall.

     The NAACP will conduct its annual national Afro-Academic 
Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition 
during the convention.  African-American students from various cities 
across the country will compete for national honors in various 
categories ranging from science and engineering to dance and the 
cultural arts.  NASA scientists and engineers will serve as judges for 
the scientific part of the competition.  The national winners in the 
technical competitions will be presented certificates from NASA as 
well as a sponsored visit to a NASA field center or event.


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