Official Nasa Communication N99-026

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

May 4, 1999

Lori Rachul Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH (Phone: 216/433-8806) NOTE TO EDITORS: N99-26 NASA TO RENAME CENTER IN JOHN GLENN'S HONOR On Friday, May 7, NASA will pay tribute to John Glenn, a symbol of the Agency's past, present and future, by renaming the Agency's Ohio center the John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. The salute to Ohio's native son and former senator will begin at approximately 10:45 a.m. EDT with a parade at the center for employees, registered media and honored guests. The parade will lead into a picnic, where everyone will gather to eat and listen to music performed by the all-astronaut band, "Max Q." The ceremony, which is scheduled to begin between 2 and 2:30 p.m. EDT, will be held in the Glenn Hangar. NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, U.S. Senator Mike DeWine and Glenn Center Director Donald Campbell will participate. In 1962, Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth. After leaving NASA and serving as a Senator from Ohio, he returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle in October 1998. During that mission, he took part in research into how the body changes during space flight, and how those changes may be similar to the aging process. Glenn's research was a precursor to future studies that will be done aboard the International Space Station. NASA Television will provide a live broadcast of the ceremony. NASA TV is available through the GE-2 satellite, Transponder 9C, located at 85 degrees West longitude, vertical polarization, with a frequency of 3880 Mhz, and audio at 6.8 MHz. Media representatives wishing to attend this event should call the Glenn Media Relations Office at 216/433-2901 for access to the Center. -end-