David Israel works for the Networks and Mission Services Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He has spent the last 10 years designing and implementing communications systems for unusual locations - trips to the Outback of Australia and to the South Pole to provide communications for NASA projects.

He has built communications systems for a North Pole expedition and was in Aruba to provide a satellite webcast of the February 26, 1998 total solar eclipse.

Mr. Israel received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1989 from the Johns Hopkins University and his master's degree in 1996 from George Washington University. He has received numerous NASA awards, including the coveted Silver Snoopy, an award given by astronauts to a very select group of people who have made significant contributions to the Human Space Flight Program.

On Aug 11, 1999, aboard the Olympic Countess, David Israel will be responsible for setting up and operating a fast internet link through a NASA satellite directly from the decks of the Olympic Countess. The pictures, weather information, and ship's position information that will be sent through this link will be viewed by millions of people around the world on the Internet.