FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For additional information:

Media Contact –

Kelly Papinchak – Amateur Spaceflight Association

713-416-2218 or kpapinchak@asa-houston.org

GCRS Contact –

Fred Welch – Gulfport Regional Spaceport Corp.

281-652-1629 or FWelch@ci.pearland.tx.us

ASA Technical Contact –

Robert Morehead – Amateur Spaceflight Association

832-816-6215 or rmorehead@asa-houston.org

ROCKET TO LAUNCH FROM BRAZORIA COUNTY;
AMATEUR GROUP TO BRING EXPERIMENT HERE

(Pearland, TX - April 15, 2003) – A group of engineers will set a World’s Record by launching the first amateur rocket to reach space. ASA, The Amateur Spaceflight Association, will take one step closer to this goal on Saturday, May 3 with a rocket launch from the Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport in Brazoria County. ASA intends this flight to be another milestone in their quest for low cost access to space.

ASA is a non-profit company formed to pioneer the field of amateur space exploration. Rob Morehead, chief engineer and founder of ASA stated “The primary focus of ASA is to encourage, assist, and facilitate the amateur’s reach into space, enabling the more rapid advancement of space research”.

The May 3 launch will consist of a 1/2-scale version of their space-capable rocket. This launch will prove the aerodynamics of their launch system and the functionality of the ground tracking system for larger size launches. This flight will go faster than the speed of sound, reaching an altitude of ~11,000 feet.

This launch was previously scheduled for February 8, but out of deference to the lost crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, the launch date was postponed until May 3.

Fred Welch, president of the Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport Corporation, said, "This launch really opens the door to space for Brazoria County. Everyone is getting behind the fact that the county is an excellent place to launch rockets, and ASA is a prime example."

Hernandez Engineering of Clear Lake was hired to complete a flight safety analysis and determine what flight systems can safely launch from the Brazoria County site.

"The ASA team are amateurs only because of the fact that they're doing this on their own time,” said Bob Seiwell of Hernandez Engineering.

The second phase of ASA’s development will be a full-scale rocket that should be ready for launch in early 2004. This rocket will set a world’s record by being the first amateur rocket launched into space. The full-scale launch would fly to an altitude of 75 miles above the earth and provide a zero gravity environment for research and development purposes for several minutes. The vehicle would return to Earth with its payload and touch down via parachute.

ASA hopes to develop relationships with research bodies such as universities and other research institutions interested in micro-gravity experiments. There is a growing market in the United States and overseas for this type of research. This company hopes to develop an operating history to routinely launch micro-gravity experiments from the Brazoria County site.

Corporate sponsors of ASA include Rabbit Semiconductors, Home Depot, United Space Alliance, Blue Fondue, Naknan, GPS City and others.

The May 3 launch is open to the public. The Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport is preparing a special viewing area near the launch site at the Brazoria County Modeler's Association runway on FM 523. For information contact the Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport at 281-652-1629. Additional information about ASA is available at

www.asa-houston.org

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