Astronaut Hire to Carry ACS Proclamation

American Cancer Society
Thursday, 19 February 1998

On April 16, 1998 the space shuttle Columbia will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the ninetieth shuttle mission (STS-90). The primary payload is Neurolab, which consists of investigations focusing on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. The Neurolab payload consists of 26 human and nonhuman scientific experiments and associated hardware in a Spacelab long module and the orbiter middeck. The experiment disciplines are primarily involved with life science investigations utilizing human subjects and laboratory animals.

The seven member crew will include Kathryn P. Hire, Mission Specialist, who will carry a proclamation celebrating the Second World Conference for Cancer Organizations with her. The proclamation reads as follows:

Whereas the American Cancer Society recognizes the global implications of the cancer problem, and

Whereas information about cancer risk reduction and detection and treatment efforts can be effectively shared among all countries regardless of their economic status, and

Whereas the international marketing efforts of tobacco companies pose grave dangers to the youth of the entire world, and

Whereas cancer societies, government health experts, hospitals, and individual cancer workers and volunteers everywhere can materially advance their efforts by true interagency collaboration, and

Whereas today's advances in communications and technology by economically advanced countries are tomorrow's promise for less developed areas,

Be it resolved, that countries and cancer societies throughout the world will join together in the Second World Conference for Cancer Organizations May 19-23, 1999, to advance the world fight against this dreaded disease.

Astronaut Hire became the first female in the United States assigned to a combat aircrew when she reported to Patrol Squadron Sixty-Two (VP-62) on May 13, 1993. As a Patrol Plane Navigator/Communicator she deployed to Iceland, Puerto Rico and Panama. Hire later served at NAS Joint Reserve Base New Orleans with CV-63 USS Kittyhawk 0482 and Tactical Support Center 0682. Presently she is a member of the Naval Reserve, Commander Seventh Fleet Detachment 111 at Naval Air Station Dallas, Texas.

Selected by NASA in December 1994, Hire reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995, and completed a year of training and evaluation. She has worked in mission control as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) since April 1996. Assigned to STS-90, Hire will be Mission Specialist 2 on the 16 day mission scheduled for launch in Spring 1998.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org