Brian Dunbar
Headquarters, Washington, DC              April 3, 2001
(Phone: 202/358-0873)

RELEASE: 01-65

SPACEWALKING ASTRONAUTS TAKE A WALK IN THE (BASEBALL) PARK

     Having helped open a new era in space science research, 
NASA Astronauts Robert Curbeam and Tom Jones came back to 
Baltimore on Monday to help open the new season for their 
hometown Orioles.

Curbeam and Jones, who made three spacewalks in February as 
part of the assembly of the International Space Station, 
threw out ceremonial first pitches before the Orioles' season 
opener against the Boston Red Sox.

After the sun chased away morning clouds and a cool spring 
breeze blew up from right field, the two astronauts were 
escorted to the mound by U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and 
Paul Sarbanes. Each spacefarer fired a strike to an Orioles 
catcher, Curbeam to Greg Myers and Jones to Fernando Lunar. 
"I need to get my fastball up more," said Jones. "It moves 
much better in zero-g."

Curbeam said he threw his four-seam fastball, but he wasn't 
entirely happy with it. "I need a little more motion on it."

Curbeam and Jones are both Baltimore natives. As boys, they 
were members of the Junior Orioles, the team's youth 
organization, and both attended several games every season at 
Memorial Stadium. Perhaps the astronauts brought Baltimore a 
bit of luck, because the Orioles won the game, 2-1, in 11 
innings.

In February, Curbeam and Jones flew aboard STS-98, which 
delivered the American-made science laboratory Destiny to the 
International Space Station. During their three spacewalks 
they completed the installation of the laboratory, deployed 
communications equipment, installed a docking port and 
practiced techniques for rescuing an incapacitated 
spacewalker.

Images of the opening day event are available on the Internet 
at: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/images/paoimages/sts_98/98_orioles/

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