HOUSTON - NASA astronauts John D. "Danny" Olivas, an El Paso, Texas native, and Chicago-area native Lee Archambault, members of the next space shuttle mission targeted for launch in March, are available for interviews by satellite this week.

It will be the first space flight for both Olivas and Archambault. Olivas will make two spacewalks during the flight while Archambault, an Air Force colonel, will serve as pilot of Space Shuttle Atlantis' mission, designated STS-117. Atlantis' crew will deliver a third set of huge solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics to the International Space Station, setting the stage for additional international laboratories to be added later this year.

Olivas will be available for interviews from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CST Wednesday, Jan. 10. B-roll of his training will air on NASA Television from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. To book an interview with Olivas, contact the NASA Johnson Space Center newsroom by 2 p.m., Jan. 10.

Archambault will be available for interviews from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., Friday, Jan. 12. B-roll of his training will air on NASA TV at 5:30 a.m. To book an interview with Archambault, contact the Johnson newsroom by 2 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 11.

Both sets of interviews and b-roll will air on the NASA TV analog satellite, located on satellite AMC-6, 72 degrees west longitude; transponder 5C, 3800 MHz, vertical polarization, with audio at 6.8 MHz.

With Olivas and Archambault on the mission will be Atlantis Commander Frederick Sturckow, a Marine colonel, and mission specialists James Reilly, Steven Swanson and Patrick Forrester. Atlantis is targeted for launch no earlier than March 16 for a 12-day flight.

Olivas was raised in El Paso and graduated from Burges High School. He received a bachelor's from the University of Texas-El Paso, a master's from the University of Houston and a doctorate from Rice University.

Archambault considers Bellwood, Illinois, his hometown and graduated from Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois. He received a bachelor's and a master's from the University of Illinois-Urbana. He is a graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School and has logged more than 4,250 flight hours in 30 different aircraft.

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

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about STS-117 and its crew, visit: