Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, DC                  August 27, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1638)

Doug Peterson 
Johnson Space Center, Houston TX 
(Phone:  281/483-5111)

RELEASE:  98-155

INTERNATIONAL CANDIDATES JOIN 1998 ASTRONAUT CLASS

     A cadre of international astronaut candidates has 
arrived at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, to begin 
training as members of the 1998 Astronaut Class.

     The international candidates, from Brazil, Canada, 
France, Germany and Italy, will train as mission specialists 
for future Space Shuttle and International Space Station 
flight assignments.

     "The Class of 1998 continues our international 
cooperation in space as we begin assembly of the 
International Space Station," said David C. Leestma, director 
of Flight Crew Operations.  "We welcome our international 
astronauts and the entire class.  They have a lot of work and 
a very exciting time ahead of them."

     The international candidates are:  Léopold Eyharts, 
Paolo Nespoli, Hans Schlegel and Roberto Vittori, European 
Space Agency; Bjarni V. Tryggvason, Canadian Space Agency; 
and Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Space Agency.

     For complete biographical information on the astronaut 
corps, including these international candidates, see the NASA 
Internet biography home page at URL:  

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/

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