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NASA Astronaut Kevin Ford to Fly on Next Space Shuttle Mission

NASA astronaut Kevin Ford, who was born in Portland, Ind., and considers Montpelier, Ind., his hometown, will serve as the pilot on space shuttle Discovery's next mission to the International Space Station.

Discovery is targeted to launch at 1:36 a.m. EDT, Aug. 25, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To cover the launch on-site, U.S. reporters must request Kennedy credentials online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Ford is one of seven astronauts who will fly on Discovery's STS-128 mission. The 13-day flight will deliver science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The name Colbert received the most entries in NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3. NASA named the node Tranquility.

Ford attended the University of Notre Dame and received his Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 1982. In 1989, he received a Master of Science degree in international relations from Troy State University in Troy, Ala.; and in 1994, a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. He earned his doctorate in astronautical engineering in 1997 at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

For Ford's complete biography, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ford-ka.html

For the latest information about the STS-128 mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

SOURCE: NASA