United Space Alliance Executive Inducted Into Astronaut Hall of Fame

Former Space Shuttle Astronaut Loren J. Shriver joins the ranks of fellow space heroes today with his official induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

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Shriver, USA's Vice President Engineering and Integration, and Chief Technology Officer, is one of four space explorers honored today at a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Apollo/Saturn V Center. The inductees will join space pioneers like Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, Sally Ride and the original seven Mercury astronauts as members of the Hall of Fame.

"This induction is a true honor, "Shriver said. "The Hall of Fame is a tremendous tribute to all the sacrifice and accomplishments of every astronaut in the corps. To be recognized by my peers gives me a great sense of pride."

The 2008 Hall of Fame inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials and flight directors, historians, journalists and other space authorities. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, created in 1984 to support students seeking careers in science and technology.

To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction year and must be retired at least five years from NASA's astronaut corps. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, NASA-trained and must have orbited the earth at least once. Committee members receiving ballots evaluate not only an individual's flight accomplishments but also how he or she contributed to the success and future success of the U.S. Space Program in post-flight assignments.

Previous inductees from United Space Alliance have included Michael J. McCulley, Richard O. Covey, and Daniel C. Brandenstein.

"The astronauts inducted into the Hall of Fame are the best of the best," said Bob Sieck Chairman of the Astronaut Hall of Fame Selection Committee. "They're the best in what they have accomplished and what they have contributed to the space program. This is a real special group."

Shriver, an Air Force aviator and test pilot, was selected by NASA to be in the first class of Space Shuttle astronauts in January 1978. He is a veteran of three space flights and has logged more than 386 hours in space. Shriver first flew as pilot on STS-51C, a classified Department of Defense mission in 1985. He served as Commander for his second mission, STS-31 in 1990, and was responsible for the successful deployment of the legendary Hubble Space Telescope. As commander of STS-46 in 1992, Shriver and his crew deployed the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) satellite, an ESA-sponsored free-flying science platform, and they conducted the first Tethered Satellite System (TSS) test flight, a joint project between NASA and the Italian Space Agency.

At USA, Shriver is responsible for Engineering and Integration functions and processes, software engineering and product system software processes, technology development and innovation management processes and functions.

Prior to taking his current position, Shriver was USA's Vice President and Deputy Program Manager of the Space Shuttle Program from 2000 to 2006. Before joining USA, he served as Deputy Director of Kennedy Space Center from 1997-2000.

United Space Alliance is a world leader in space operations with extensive experience in all aspects of the field. Headquartered in Houston, USA has 10,000 employees working in Texas, Florida and Alabama. Currently, USA is applying its broad range of capabilities to NASA's Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Constellation programs as well as to space operations customers in the commercial and international space industry sectors.

SOURCE United Space Alliance