Bob Jacobs/Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington, DC
July 3, 2000
(Phone:  202/358-1600)

Ed Campion/Eileen Hawley
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone:  281/483-5111)

RELEASE:  00-102

COMPUTER HACKER NEVER ENDANGERED SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS

News reports that a computer hacker endangered the lives of Space Shuttle 
astronauts during a 1997 mission are wrong.  A report from the British 
Broadcasting  Corporation (BBC) said a hacker compromised NASA computers,
endangering the lives of  American astronauts.

NASA's Inspector General's office found that during the STS-86 mission in 
September of 1997, the transmission of routine medical information was
slightly delayed due to a computer hacker. However, the transmission was
successfully completed.

At no time was communication between NASA and the astronauts compromised. 
The communication interruption occurred between internal ground-based
computer  systems. 

There has never been an interruption of communication service with the 
Shuttle due  to computer hacker attacks. The command and control
communications links between  Mission Control and a Space Shuttle in orbit
are extremely well insulated.

The 1997 incident is currently under investigation by NASA Inspector 
General's  office.

-end-