NASA Astronaut Visits Industrial Tectonics Bearings ¨C RBC Bearings Incorporated Subsidiary

Rancho Dominguez, CA) NASA Astronaut Rick Linnehan, a veteran of three spaceflights, is visited Industrial Tectonics Bearings (ITB), in Rancho Dominguez, CA, on recently, as part of NASA's Space Flight Awareness Program. ITB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RBC Bearings Incorporated (RBC Bearings). Space Flight Awareness visits are key opportunities for astronauts to meet NASA contractor employees to thank them for their work on behalf of all the astronauts who rely on their products. Industrial Tectonics Bearings manufactures the flow meter bearing for the Space Shuttle's main engine and recently won the ¡°Supplier Award of Distinction¡± from NASA. This was the first award of this type according to NASA officials, which states, ¡°In recognition of your dedication, commitment to excellence, and achievements in support of America¡¯s space program.¡± ¡°ITB was nominated and sponsored by The Boeing Company for the award based on ITB¡¯s short lead time performance and engineering support to the Space Shuttle Program,¡± says Wade Costello, RBC Bearings spokeswoman. ITB manufactures critical flow meter bearing assemblies for the Space Shuttle¡¯s main engine. Another NASA project involving ITB bearings is the International Space Station. During the astronaut visit, Dr. Linnehan toured facilities, visited with employees, and delivered a multimedia Space Flight Awareness presentation that will included highlights of his spaceflight experience, followed by a question-and-answer session. Selected by NASA in March 1992, Linnehan was initially assigned to flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) followed by an assignment to the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch, working on payload development, and mission development flight support for future Space Shuttle missions. Linnehan's first flight as a mission specialist was in 1996 on STS-78, the Life Sciences and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) mission. In 1998, he served as the payload commander on the STS-90 Neurolab mission. In 2002, he was a member of the 4-man EVA crew on STS-109. Linnehan has logged over 43 days in space, including 3 EVAs (spacewalks) totaling 21 hours and 9 minutes. RBC Bearings Incorporated, headquartered in Oxford, Connecticut, is an industry leader in the development of highly-engineered, precision bearing products for a diverse group of applications, including: aerospace and defense, construction, mining and material handling equipment, mobile hydraulics systems, farm machinery, transportation equipment, automation and robotics, machine tool and semiconductor industries.