Springfield Man To Make Third Journey Into Space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- NASA says a Virginia man is set to make his third journey into space.

Officials say astronaut Patrick Forrester, of Springfield, Va., is flying on the space shuttle Discovery's next mission to the International Space Station. NASA says the launch is scheduled for Aug. 25 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

READ HIS BIO

Forrester is one of seven astronauts who will fly on Discovery's mission. The 13-day flight will deliver science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples and a new sleeping compartment. It also will deliver a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert following an online contest.

Forrester graduated from West Springfield High School in 1975. He earned his bachelors degree from the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., in 1979, and his masters degree from the University of Virginia in 1989.