Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, DC      February 2, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1778)

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)

RELEASE:  96-22


CREW NAMED FOR FIFTH SHUTTLE/MIR DOCKING; COMMANDER 
FOR SIXTH

     U.S. Navy Captain Michael A. Baker will 
command the fifth scheduled Shuttle mission to dock 
with Russia's Space Station Mir (STS-81) and U.S. 
Air Force Colonel Charles J. Precourt will command 
the sixth (STS-84).

     On STS-81, set for December 1996, Astronaut 
John E. Blaha (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) will return 
from a five-month stay aboard the station and Dr. 
Jerry M. Linenger (Captain, Medical Corps, USN) 
will take his place aboard the orbiting laboratory 
for five months.  Linenger will return on STS-84 
and be replaced aboard Mir by C. Michael Foale, 
Ph.D.

     Other crew members named to join Baker, Blaha 
and Linenger on the STS-81 flight are Pilot Brent 
W. Jett, Jr. (Lt. Cdr., USN), and Mission 
Specialists John M. Grunsfeld, Ph.D., Marsha S. 
Ivins, and Peter J.K. "Jeff" Wisoff, Ph.D.  The 
remainder of Precourt's STS-84 crew will be named 
later.

     The fifth docking mission will carry the 
Spacehab double module providing additional middeck 
locker space for secondary experiments.  During the 
five days of docked operations with Mir, the crews 
will transfer water and supplies from one 
spacecraft to the other.  A spacewalk by Linenger 
and one of his Russian cosmonaut crewmates will be 
conducted during his stay on the space station 
after Atlantis departs.

     The sixth docking mission, also carrying the 
Spacehab double module, will have Atlantis docked 
with the station for five days transferring 
supplies and experiments between the two spacecraft 
in addition to the astronaut exchange.

     Baker, 42, has flown three times on the 
Shuttle -- STS-43 aboard Atlantis in August 1991, 
STS-52 on Columbia in October 1992 and STS-68 on 
Endeavour in September/October 1994.  Most recently 
he was director of operations for NASA at the 
Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, 
Russia, responsible for the coordination and 
implementation of mission operations activities for 
the Shuttle/Mir program.  Baker earned a bachelor 
of science degree in aerospace engineering in 1975 
from the University of Texas.  He considers 
Lemoore, CA, his hometown.

     Precourt, 40, has flown on two space missions 
including the first docking of the Shuttle Atlantis 
to Mir on STS-71 in June/July 1995.  His other 
mission was aboard Columbia in April/May 1993.  He 
currently is director of operations for NASA in 
Star City, Russia, having replaced Baker last 
November.  Precourt earned a master of science 
degree in engineering management from Golden Gate 
University in 1988 and a master of arts in national 
security affairs and strategic studies from the 
United States Naval War College in 1990.  He 
considers Hudson, MA, his hometown.

     Jett, 37, just completed his first Shuttle 
mission, STS-72, which included two rendezvous.  He 
has a master of science degree in aeronautical 
engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, 
earned in 1989.  Jett considers Fort Lauderdale, 
FL, his hometown.

     Grunsfeld, 37, flew aboard Endeavour on the 
STS-67 mission in March 1995.  He earned his master 
of science and doctor of philosophy degrees from 
the University of Chicago in 1984 and 1988, 
respectively.

     Ivins, 44, will be making her fourth flight on 
the Shuttle.  She flew on STS-32 aboard Columbia in 
January 1990, STS-46 on Atlantis in July/August 
1992, and STS-62 on Columbia in March 1994.  Most 
recently Ivins has supported launch and landing 
activities at the Kennedy Space Center as the lead 
for the Astronaut Support Personnel team.  She 
earned a bachelor of science degree in aerospace 
engineering from the University of Colorado in 
1973. 

     Wisoff, 37, flew on STS-57 on Endeavour in 
June/July 1993, and with Baker on STS-68 aboard 
Endeavour in September/October 1994.  He earned a 
master of science and doctorate in applied physics 
from Stanford University in 1982 and 1986, 
respectively.  Wisoff was born in Norfolk, VA.

     Blaha, 53, will complete his fifth flight into 
space.  He flew on STS-29 aboard Discovery in March 
1989, STS-33 also on Discovery in November 1989, 
STS-43 aboard Atlantis in August 1991 and STS-58 on 
Columbia in October/November 1993.  He earned a 
master of science degree in aeronautical 
engineering from Purdue Unviersity in 1966.  Blaha 
was born in San Antonio, TX.

     Linenger, 41, flew on STS-64 aboard Discovery 
in September 1994.  He earned his doctorate in 
medicine from Wayne State University in 1981.  
Linenger considers Eastpointe, MI, and Coronado, 
CA, his hometowns.

     Foale, 39, flew on STS-45 aboard Atlantis in 
1992, Discovery's STS-56 mission in 1993 and most 
recently on the STS-63 mission in February 1995 
which saw Discovery rendezvous with Mir, 
approaching to within 37 feet of the space station.  
He considers Cambridge, England, his hometown.  
Foale completed his doctorate in laboratory 
astrophysics at Cambridge University in 1982.

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