NASA Astronaut Steve Bowen will visit the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Thursday, Feb. 5, to participate in a ceremony honoring members of the NASA family who have lost their lives in the quest of space exploration. Bowen will also help dedicate the new “Hero’s Way” corridor.

The indoor corridor, which is lined with space shuttle mission patches and commemorative flags, runs across the north side of Building 103, Michoud’s main manufacturing facility. The hallway will be a reminder for employees and visitors at Michoud to remember and honor those brave men and women who have made space exploration possible.  

The dedication begins at 9 a.m. CST with a short plaque unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony and continues with an invitation for all employees and guests to take a reflective walk down Hero’s Way. Prior to the start of the event, beginning at 8:30 a.m. CST, media may interview NASA Astronaut Steve Bowen and Michoud Assembly Facility Deputy Director Mike Kynard. 

Media who wish to attend the Michoud event should contact Chip Howat at 504-214-6745 no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.  4. Journalists attending the Michoud event must report to 13800 Old Gentilly Road in the building 350 visitor’s parking lot by 8 a.m. Feb. 5 to be granted access to the facility. Media will then board a vehicle that will carry the group to the event location within the facility. Official media credentials with photo identification are required for access. 

Media are also invited to Conrad Industries Shipyard near Morgan City, Louisiana, for an afternoon event. NASA representatives, along with Bowen, will be on hand to thank Conrad employees for their work on the Pegasus barge. Conrad has made modifications to the Pegasus barge that will be used to carry the large core stage of the Space Launch System, NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket that will carry future explorers to deep space. These events will begin at 2 p.m. CST at the Conrad Facilities, located at 290 Duhon Bypass Road, Amelia, Louisiana, 70380.

To attend Conrad events, media must contact Shannon Ridinger at 256-541-7698 no later 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, to RSVP and receive instructions on how to get to the Conrad facility. Official media credentials with photo identification are required for access.

For more information about NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/michoud

For more information about Astronaut Steve Bowen, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bowen-sg.html