Mark N. Brown

Mark N. Brown
NASA Astronaut
Nationality American
Status Retired
Born (1951-11-18) November 18, 1951
Valparaiso, Indiana, U.S.
Other names
 Mark Neil Brown
Other occupation
 Pilot
Purdue University, B.S. 1973
AFIT, M.S. 1980
Rank Colonel, USAF
Time in space
 10d 09h 27m
Selection 1984 NASA Group 10
Missions STS-28, STS-48
Mission insignia
Retirement July 1993

Mark Neil Brown (born November 18, 1951) is an American engineer, retired Colonel in the United States Air Force and former NASA astronaut.

Personal data

Brown was born November 18, 1951, in Valparaiso, Indiana. His recreational interests include fishing, hiking, jogging, all sports, and chess. Married to the former Lynne A. Anderson of River Grove, Illinois; they have two daughters: Kristin Elizabeth (born October 21, 1981) and Karin Alison (born May 18, 1986).

Education

Air Force experience

Following graduation from Purdue in 1973, Brown was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force and received his pilot wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in 1974. He was then assigned to the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, where he flew both T-33 and F-106 aircraft. Brown graduated from the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1975. He was transferred to the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and earned his master's degree in Astronautical Engineering in 1980. Two years later he graduated from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

NASA and Professional experience

Brown was assigned to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center since 1980. Assigned as an engineer in the Flight Activities Section, he participated in the development of contingency procedures for use aboard the Space Shuttle and served as an attitude and pointing officer. Brown supported STS flights 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 41-C in the Flight Activity Officer/Staff Support Room of the Mission Control Center.

Selected by NASA in May 1984, Brown became an astronaut in June 1985, and qualified for assignment as a Mission Specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. In December 1985, he was assigned to the crew of STS-61-N, a Department of Defense mission which was subsequently canceled due to the Challenger disaster. During 1986 and 1987, he served as an astronaut member of the solid rocket booster redesign team. In February 1988 Brown was assigned to a new flight crew. He flew on STS-28 (August 8–13, 1989), following which he served as astronaut member on the Space Station Freedom Program. He next flew on STS-48 (September 12–18, 1991). With the completion of his second mission, Brown has logged over 249 hours in space.

On his first space flight, Brown served as a Mission Specialist on the crew of STS-28. The Orbiter Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 8, 1989. The mission carried Department of Defense payloads and a number of secondary payloads. After 80 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California on August 13, 1989.

Brown next flew on the crew of STS-48 aboard the Orbiter Discovery which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 12, 1991. This was a five-day mission during which the crew deployed the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) which is designed to provide scientists with their first complete data set on the upper atmosphere's chemistry, winds and energy inputs. The crew also conducted numerous secondary experiments ranging from growing protein crystals to studying how fluids and structures react in weightlessness. The mission was accomplished in 81 orbits of the Earth and concluded with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 18, 1991.

Brown left NASA in July 1993 and retired from the U.S. Air Force to head up the Space Division office of General Research Corporation in Dayton, Ohio.

Mr. Brown has enjoyed a distinguished career as an Air Force fighter pilot, engineer, NASA astronaut, NASA manager, and corporate manager. His unique combination of operational, technical, and managerial experience has made him an invaluable asset to the Air Force, NASA, and the corporations he has worked for. After a 20-year career with the Air Force that included two trips to space on the space shuttle, he joined industry and has worked for a series of corporations in ever increasing roles of responsibility to include President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Brown is now an aerospace consultant and also serves as a member of the Air Force Museum Foundation Board of Managers, the Purdue University Industrial Advisory Committee, and the Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Technology Committee (OAATC).

Mr. Brown is also an entertaining and informative speaker. His presentations address all the important questions like "How do you go to the bathroom in space?" and "What does weightlessness feel like?" He is also a member of the Association of Space Explorers (http://www.space-explorers.org/) which is an international nonprofit professional and educational organization of over 395 astronauts and cosmonauts from 35 nations.

2012–Present: Aerospace Consultant Mr. Brown provides consulting services to support corporate organization and structure, strategic planning, marketing, and business development. Having worked with both non-profit and for-profit companies, Mr. Brown is appreciative of the unique challenges being faced by companies in today’s demanding business environment. Currently, he is supporting Schafer Corporation (http://www.schafercorp.com/) with the development of the Schafer Commercial Space Situational Awareness Program. This program, now composed of eight companies, is bringing commercial products and services to commercial, civil, and DoD customers needing space situational awareness support. This catalog of products and services includes historical databases, automated work environments, and satellite support services ranging from the pad to earth orbit and eventually to deorbit/retirement.

2010-2012: Vice President, Aviation & Missile Defense Programs, MCR Federal, LLC Mr. Brown joined MCR Federal, LLC in June 2010 as the head of their Dayton Operations. This business unit provided support to the Air Force program offices at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. The addition of their Huntsville Operation to his responsibilities expanded his business unit portfolio to include Integrated Program Management and UAS services for a variety of DoD customers. Beyond normal managerial responsibilities, Mark was intimately involved in the migration of unmanned aircraft from DoD use into civil and commercial applications.

2008-2010: Vice President & General Manager, BAE Systems With the acquisition of MTC Technologies in June 2008 Mr. Brown became the VP&GM of Aerospace Solutions (formerly MTC) as part of BAE Systems. In this capacity he was responsible for the continuing operations of the business unit as well as the integration of MTC into BAE Systems. In October 2008 this business was reorganized within BAE Systems and Mark was assigned to the corporate staff as the leader of the BAE Systems Inc. UAV Initiative. He was responsible for the development of BAE’s UAV business in the United States and overseas to include strategic planning, capabilities assessments, gap analyses, messaging, customer calls, and company-wide coordination.

2006-2008: President & Chief Operating Officer, MTC Technologies As the President & COO of MTC, Mr. Brown was responsible for the day-to-day operations of this 3,000 person, $450M a year company. His duties included the management, supervision, and direction of all operations of the company including all corporate and subsidiary operations. Since joining MTC in August 2006, he reorganized the company along functional lines, focused operations and business development around core capabilities and areas of strength, completed the integration of acquisitions, and eliminated $6M in overhead costs. Mr. Brown also represented the company in numerous meetings with customers, at conferences and trade shows, briefing analysts, and in discussions with potential buyers. On December 21, 2007 MTC signed an agreement to be purchased by BAE Systems. This acquisition was completed in June 2008.

2003-2006: Vice President and General Manager, CSC Federal Sector-Defense Group, Aerospace Division. Mr. Brown was the overall manager of the CSC Aerospace Business Unit responsible for operations, business development, and P&L. This $200M, 1200 person and growing business unit includes information technology, logistics support, space systems, program control, finance, and intelligence support.

2002-2003: District Manager, Air & Space Programs Development, AT&T Government Solutions, Inc. Member of the Air Force and NASA Account Teams responsible for the development and execution of a business development plan for the Air Force and NASA. Duties include marketing, business development, budget analysis, capabilities assessments, strategic planning, customer visits, and proposal support.

2000-2002: Director, Wire Integrity Programs, GRC International, Inc. an AT&T Company (GRC International was purchased by AT&T in 2001 and became AT&T Government Solutions in 2002) Mr. Brown assembled a team of six companies in 2000 to provide the technologies needed by the airlines and military services to dramatically improve the testing used to maintain wiring in aircraft, the storage of the testing data, the analyses of the test data, and laboratory studies to understand the aging phenomenology.

1998-2000: Director of Air Force and NASA Business Development, Corporate Marketing and Business Development, GRC International, Inc. As a member of the corporate staff, Mr. Brown actively participated in the development of new business opportunities for GRC International. His wide experience base with government and commercial business proved invaluable to GRCI in identifying new areas for technology growth and in developing solutions to customer problems.

1996-1998: Acting Director of East Coast Operations, Decision Technologies Division, GRC International, Inc. Mr. Brown was promoted to this position in October 1996 and assumed responsibility for this $6.5M business involving NASA, the Air Force, commercial, and other government activities. Duties included full budget accounting and management of computer programmers, engineers, technicians, scientists, and administrative personnel located in three different states. Business contacts included senior NASA management, senior military officers, and members of Congress.

1995-1996: Director of Aerospace Programs, Decision Technologies Division, GRC International, Inc. Mr. Brown’s assignment to the Aerospace Programs group expanded his management responsibilities to include support to Air Force air and space projects in addition to NASA. This support included software development and services to the Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC), the National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC), and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Responsibilities included project and group management as well as business development.

1994-1995: Director of the Program Analysis Group, Space Division, GRC International, Inc. Mr. Brown was the manager of the GRCI group responsible for NASW-4470 contract for NASA HQ and other support to NASA. He served as the Program Manager for NASW-4470 and led the GRCI contractor team for the re-compete of this contract. Although GRC won this re-competition, NASA canceled the contract due to budget cutbacks mandated by Congress.

1993-1994: Director of Space Operations, Space Division, GRC International, Inc. Mr. Brown retired from the Air Force and NASA during the summer of 1993 and joined GRCI as the Director of Space Operations. Duties included support to NASA through NASW-4470 to NASA HQ, Code M. This contract, on which GRCI was the prime, provided technical support to the NASA Space Station Program, NASA Hubble Space Telescope Mission, the NASA Space Shuttle Program, the Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications, and NASA HQ.

Special honors

Physical description

  • Weight: 190 lb (82 kg)
  • Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
  • Hair: Blond
  • Eyes: Blue[1]

References

  1. ↑ Mark N. Brown's physical description

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