Ten days of total time in space defines the orbital career of Mark N. Brown, who participated in two Space Shuttle missions during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beyond his flight experience, he served as a mission specialist and contributed significantly to the technical design and procedural development of the American space program during his tenure at NASA.
Early Education and Military Foundation
Born in 1951 in Valparaiso, Indiana, Brown graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1969. He enrolled at Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1973. Upon graduation, he received his commission in the United States Air Force and completed pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base in 1974. His early military career involved flying T-33 and F-106 aircraft with the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base. He later obtained a Master of Science in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology in 1980.
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Before his selection as an astronaut, Brown joined the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1980. Working as an engineer in the Flight Activities Section, he developed contingency procedures for the Space Shuttle and performed duties as an attitude and pointing officer. He supported several missions, including STS-2, STS-3, STS-4, STS-6, STS-8, and STS-41-C, from the Mission Control Center staff support room.
Space Shuttle Missions
Selected as an astronaut in 1985, Brown served on the solid rocket booster redesign team following the Challenger disaster. He flew his first mission on August 8, 1989, aboard the orbiter Columbia for STS-28, a five-day Department of Defense mission that concluded at Edwards Air Force Base. His second flight occurred on September 12, 1991, aboard Discovery for STS-48. During this mission, the crew deployed the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and conducted experiments in protein crystal growth and fluid physics. He retired from NASA and the Air Force in 1993.
Fast facts
- Born: 1951, Valparaiso, Indiana
- Education: Purdue University, B.S. Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
- Military Rank: Colonel
- NASA Selection: June 1985
- Space Flight Time: Over 249 hours
- Missions: STS-28, STS-48
- Post-NASA career: General Research Corporation
Questions readers ask
Which Space Shuttle missions did Mark N. Brown fly?
He flew as a mission specialist on STS-28 in 1989 and STS-48 in 1991.
What did Brown do after leaving NASA?
In 1993, he retired from the Air Force and NASA to lead the Space Division office for the General Research Corporation in Dayton, Ohio.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Educated at Purdue University and Valparaiso High School
- Worked as military officer, astronaut and aircraft pilot
