HOUSTON – NASA will hold a media briefing at 10:15 a.m. CST Dec. 13 with members of the next International Space Station crew, Expedition 15, and a U.S. businessman who will visit the complex in spring 2007.

The briefing will originate from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, and broadcast live on NASA Television. Media may ask questions from participating NASA locations.

The briefing will include:

– Expedition 15 Commander and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin
– Expedition 15 Flight Engineer, Soyuz Commander and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov
– Expedition 15 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Clay Anderson
– Expedition 15 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Dan Tani
– Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, who will fly to the station under a commercial agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

On Dec. 14, Yurchikhin, Kotov, Anderson and Tani also will be available for individual round-robin interviews in person at Johnson or by phone. To participate in those interviews, media should contact the Johnson newsroom, 281-483-5111, no later than 3 p.m. Dec. 13.

Yurchikhin, Kotov and Simonyi will travel to the station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. Eleven days later, Simonyi will return to Earth aboard a Soyuz with two members of the Expedition 14 crew.

Space shuttles will transport Anderson and Tani to the station later in the year. Anderson has a seat on shuttle Endeavour’s STS-118 mission, targeted for launch next June. Tani will replace Anderson a few months later when he arrives aboard shuttle Atlantis on its STS-120 mission.

For more information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about the International Space Station and its crews, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov