Wyle Laboratories, Inc. has designed and is building a centrifuge for NASA for use in researching the
effects of artificial gravity as a countermeasure to the negative effects of
microgravity on the human body.

The research is directly linked to solving the problems associated with
long duration space flight including loss of muscle and bone mass. Such
problems must be overcome if NASA is to mount a successful mission to Mars.

“The centrifuge, to be built over the next several months, will be located
at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston,” said Nancy Srb,
Wyle’s artificial gravity project manager. “Under future options, Wyle may
build centrifuges for research use in Russia and Germany.”

The work is being conducted under Wyle’s Bioastronautics contract where
the company provides life sciences research, special-use systems and support
services for NASA’s human space program.

The project is being developed in two phases. The first phase is the
building of the Short Radius Centrifuge, which has a three meter radius, to
support NASA’s Artificial Gravity Pilot Study. The second phase will include
significant enhancements to the centrifuge design to provide support for the
multinational Artificial Gravity Project.

The Artificial Gravity Project Pilot Study places test subjects in a six
degree head-down bed-rest position, which simulates the effects of
microgravity on a human body. The test subjects are then placed in the Short
Radius Centrifuge and subjected up to 2.5 Gs at their feet to simulate a
gravity environment.

Wyle has provided life sciences services and flight-related hardware to
NASA at Johnson Space Center since the late 1960s. Wyle’s work at Johnson
Space Center includes support of medical operations and research, space flight
hardware development and support for biotechnology programs for the Space
Shuttle and the International Space Station.

A diversified high tech engineering and services company, Wyle also builds
Dynamic Flight Simulators used to train fighter pilots under high G
conditions. Wyle’s Dynamic Flight Simulator, the first fourth generation
centrifuge system of its type to be put in use in the world, became
operational last summer in Sweden.

Wyle Laboratories, Inc., a privately held company, is a leader in
providing testing, research and engineering services to commercial, industrial
and government customers. The company also provides technical support
services, life sciences, special test systems and other technical support
services to the aerospace, defense, nuclear, communications and transportation
industries.

For further information please contact: Dan Reeder of Wyle Laboratories,
Inc., +1-310-563-6728.