NASA Astronaut Lands at Cougar Stadium Sept, 22
NASA astronaut John “Danny” Olivas will be one of several Houstonians honored by the University of Houston on “Champions Day 2007,” Sept. 22.
Champions Day 2007 events take place during the Cougars’ first home football game, against the Colorado State Rams. The televised game starts at 3:30 p.m. at Robertson Stadium, between Cullen and Scott Streets. During the game, Olivas will present the school with items he carried aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis in June.
Olivas, a University of Houston graduate, received his master of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1993. He was selected to be an astronaut by NASA in 1998. After completing astronaut candidate training, he worked various jobs within the astronaut office before being assigned in 2005 to his first space shuttle mission (STS-117).
STS-117 was the 118th shuttle mission and the 21st to visit the International Space Station. The construction and repair mission involved multiple spacewalks by five astronauts, including Olivas who accumulated more than 14 hours during two spacewalks. Atlantis launched June 8 and landed June 22 after traveling 5.8 million miles in 14 days.
For more information about this appearance or to schedule an interview, contact Eric Gerber, University of Houston, at 713-743-8189 or Brenda A. Cabaniss, NASA Astronaut Appearances Office, at 281-244-8860.
For additional biographical information on Olivas, visit:
