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EAA AirVenture 99 Hot Venue For SPD

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exhibit August 12, 1999 Huntsville, AL While the weather was hot, the number of interested visitors to the Space Product Development display was even hotter at Experimental Aircraft Associations' AirVenture 99 airshow at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. More than 4,600 people stopped at the display to ask questions, hear presentations, and have a hands-on experience with the commercial products and research hardware on display.

SPD representative shows PentaPure to visitors The display included the STS-95 ASTROCULTURE™ training hardware used by John Glenn and his crewmates, a PentaPure™ water purification system, and a Ford engine block. The STS-95 hardware was used for two extremely successful commercial experiments, the "Space Rose" and a soybean experiment , while the other products represent items that have been improved through commercial microgravity research.

U.S. Air Force Academy mascot Representatives of the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics were on hand to answer questions about the ASTROCULTURE™ hardware and the work being done through this Commercial Space Center. The Center, located in Madison, Wisconsin, focuses on agribusiness research.

Astronaut Scott Horowitz One visitor to the display got a view of things to come. Astronaut Scott Horowitz, who will pilot the upcoming STS-101 mission, visited the display after speaking at the show and conducting an autograph session. STS-101 will feature two commercial payloads, Commercial Protein Crystal Growth and ASTROCULTURE™. The ASTROCULTURE™ payload will feature a follow-up flight of the soybean experiment from STS-95.

In addition to the SPD display and materials, visitors were treated to a view of the International Space Station and one of its research modules through surrounding displays. While visiting the site, located in the EAA pavilion, the public could also try Shuttle landing and docking simulators and get their photographs made in a space suit.