ORLANDO, Fla. Former NASA astronaut Robert Springer, who twice drove the "shuttle bus for satellites," also known as the Space Shuttle, will be the keynote speaker at the opening of UMA Motorcoach Expo 2013 at Travel Exchange here in January.

Springer, who retired as a colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps, spent nine years at NASA, during which he flew two missions into space on shuttles Discovery and Atlantis.

Upon completing his second mission, he had logged more than 237 hours that figures out to nearly 10 days and nights in space.

Today, Springer is an executive with the Boeing Company.

He will speak on the first full day of Expo -- Monday, Jan. 21.

The United Motorcoach Association also announced that hotel room reservations now can be made for Expo 2013.

For reservations, go to the Expo website, www.motorcoachexpo.com, and click on the Hotel & Travel link, or call the Expo housing bureau, Integrated Housing Solutions, at (866) 660-4946, or (913) 338-9463.

The latest schedule for the Expo and NTA Convention, which is being conducted jointly with Expo under the banner of Travel Exchange, is posted on the Expo website.

Besides being able to register for rooms and Expo itself, attendees also can register for complimentary sightseeing tours being held in conjunction with the show. Not only are the tours free but so is lunch and transportation.

Specifics about the tours, which will be Sunday, Jan. 20, are available on the Expo website. Click on the Sightseeing Tours link. To participate, individuals must be registered for Expo.

Full Expo registration provides all-inclusive access to education sessions, trade show floor entrance, breakfasts, lunches, and joint UMA and NTA events such as the opening Welcome Reception/Icebreaker and the annual Vision Award dinner.