"All Systems Go" - Atlantis Shuttle to Fly Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch into Space.

Business & Sports Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 2000

The Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) confirmed today that the Olympic torch will travel into space on board the United States Space Shuttle Atlantis, early next week.

NASA officials have confirmed that the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch has been stored in Atlantis in readiness for the launch into space scheduled for next Monday, April 24th at 4.15 p.m. U.S. East Coast time, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

The Sydney 2000 Olympic flag has also been folded and stored on the shuttle for the journey into space.

"We have received confirmation that the Sydney Olympic torch is stowed on Atlantis, and it's all systems go," said Di Henry, SOCOG's General Manager for the Torch Relay.

Australian-born NASA astronaut, Dr Andy Thomas, said a protective packaging strategy was used to store the Olympic torch on the shuttle. "The torch has been carefully packed in foam and protective covering to shield it against damage from the dynamic nature of the launch," Dr Thomas said.

The torch's journey into space heralds the start of the Olympic Torch Relay in Greece following the lighting of the Mother Flame in Olympia on 10 May.

"While on board the shuttle, the Olympic torch will orbit the Earth as Torch Relay participants and organizers prepare for the start of the Relay," Dr Thomas said.

The Olympic torch will travel to the fledgling International Space Station, where the shuttle's crew consisting of American mission specialists and a leading Russian specialist will further develop the orbiting outpost.

"The presence of the torch in space is a symbol to the world of how far the Olympic spirit can go through human endeavour, skill and co-operation," Ms Henry said.

"The Olympic torch is also a symbol of the courage, determination and team-work involved in space exploration," Dr Thomas said.

The Olympic torch's journey into space also highlights the approach of the Sydney 2000 Games in September. "While orbiting the Earth in the Space Shuttle, the Torch will be flying over the nations of the world that will be coming to the Olympic Games," Dr Thomas said.

Dr Thomas said that depending on visibility and time of day, the Space Shuttle with the Olympic torch on board could be seen as a bright light orbiting the Earth.

"People in different countries may be able to look up and see the shuttle with the torch on board as a point of light beckoning the nations of the world to Sydney for the Olympic Games," Dr Thomas said.

The journey into space will make the Sydney 2000 torch the most travelled and transported torch in Olympic history.

As well as travelling into space, the high tech Olympic torch will also travel underwater on the Great Barrier Reef. The torch will also be transported by a Surf Life saving boat, ferry, road train, chair lift, horse, tram, canoe, solar car, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and even a camel amongst other alternate modes of transport during the Olympic Torch Relay.

The torch that will travel into space is slightly smaller than the original torch prototype and has been modified so that it can be dismantled for storage on the Space Shuttle.

"Nothing quite like this from Australia has gone into space before," said Dr Thomas, who took a boomerang, toy kangaroo and some small Australian flags with him as sentimental symbols of Australia on his 1996 Space Shuttle mission.

The torch will return with the Atlantis Space Shuttle on May 4 when the mission is completed, less than a week before the Mother Flame is rekindled at Olympia and marking the start of the Torch Relay in Greece.

The torch will travel later through the nations of Oceania before the Olympic Flame arrives at Uluru on 8 June for the start of the Olympic Torch Relay in Australia - the longest and largest Torch Relay in Olympic history, involving 11,000 Torchbearers and travelling within one hour's drive of 85 percent of the Australian population.

Please Note: Australian-born NASA astronaut Dr Andy Thomas will be available for media interviews prior to as well as on the day of the Atlantis Space Shuttle launch with the Olympic torch as the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.