Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
michael.curie@nasa.gov

Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters      
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
nicole.cloutier-1@nasa.gov   



MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-234

NASA KICKS OFF APPLICATION PROCESS FOR NEW ASTRONAUTS

WASHINGTON -- News media representatives are invited to attend a
public announcement of NASA's process for selecting its next class of
astronauts. The event starts at 1 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Nov. 15, in
the Webb auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA
Television and the agency's website will broadcast the event live.

NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Assistant Administrator for
Human Capital Jeri Buchholz, Flight Crew Operations Director Janet
Kavandi and five members of the recently graduated 2009 astronaut
class will participate in the announcement. They are Serena Aunon,
Kjell Lindgren, Kathleen Rubins, Scott Tingle and Mark Vande Hei.

NASA will recruit its next astronaut class through the federal
government's USAJobs.gov website.

The class of 2009 was the first astronaut class to graduate in a new
era of space flight following the final mission of the space shuttle.
A new fleet of human spacecraft is in development by commercial
companies to deliver crews to the International Space Station. NASA
also is developing spacecraft to send humans on missions of
exploration far away from our planet.

These new astronauts will advance research aboard the space station to
benefit life on Earth and develop the knowledge and skills needed for
longer flights to explore the solar system.

For biographical information and other astronaut information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts

For more information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about NASA's next generation of spacecraft,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv