SPACE CENTER VOLUNTEERS KICK 
INTO GEAR TO FIGHT MS

BAY AREA HOUSTON, TX (April 7, 2005) – Space Center Volunteers, a group of aerospace contractors and NASA Johnson Space Center civil servants, will kick into high gear and ride in the 21^st Annual BP MS 150 Bike Tour on April 16 – 17.  Under the name, Mission Control Team, the group will join over 10,000 other cyclists on the two-day, 180 mile journey from Houston to Austin.  The annual ride benefits the Lone Star MS Chapter, which provides treatment, education and family services for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

“We expect to have 200 riders on the team this year,” said Team Captain Chris Rose.  “This event provides an excellent opportunity for Bay Area Houston aerospace professionals to help a great cause.”

The team includes volunteers from United Space Alliance, Lockheed Martin, The Boeing Company, Wyle Laboratories, Cimarron, Barrios Technology, Titan, MRI Technologies, MEI, GHG Corporation, Hernandez Engineering and SPACEHAB.  In 2004, the Mission Control Team contributed over $93,000 to the Lone Star MS Chapter.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often progressive disease of the central nervous system that affects approximately 400,000 people in the United States.  The Lone Star MS Chapter is one of three chapters in the state.  Texas MS Tours are regarded by cycling enthusiasts as the premiere rides in the state, with well coordinated routes and special attention to riders’ safety.  For more information, visit http://www.spacehab-corporate.com/ms150/.