NASA astronaut Gregory "Box" Johnson will return to Michigan this week to make two special presentations to area schools. Events at both schools are open to the media.

On April 24, Johnson will return to Saginaw Chippewa Academy, 7498 E. Broadway, Mount Pleasant, to return a piece of blanket he carried with him in space. The events start at 1 p.m. with a drum group and Songbirds performance followed by Tribal Council introductions. Johnson will then show a DVD and PowerPoint presentation of his mission to students.

Johnson will conclude his visit to Michigan by visiting Middle School at Parkside, 2400 Fourth St., Jackson, on April 25. Starting at 8 a.m., Johnson will spend the day with students in their science classrooms. At 1 p.m., Johnson will deliver a presentation to the student body and return a pin he carried with him in space. A media opportunity is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Johnson was selected as an astronaut by NASA in June 1998. After completing astronaut candidate training in 2000, he performed various technical assignments within the Astronaut Office until being assigned to a spaceflight in early 2007.

Last month, Johnson piloted space shuttle Endeavour during the record-setting STS-123 mission. On March 26, Johnson returned to Earth after more than 378 hours in space and traveling more than 6 million miles in 15 days.

For more information about these appearances or to schedule an interview, contact Brenda Cabaniss, publicist, NASA Astronaut Appearances Office, at 281-244-8860.

For additional biographical information on Johnson, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/johnson-gh.html