Astronaut Profile
David M. Brown
Mission Specialist
David Brown, a former circus acrobat turned Navy flight surgeon, was on his first spaceflight aboard Columbia when the orbiter broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Mission Specialist • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
David M. Brown was a U.S. Navy flight surgeon and pilot who had once performed as an acrobat and stilt-walker with a small circus before attending medical school. He was on his first spaceflight, STS-107, a sixteen-day science mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. On February 1, 2003, damage sustained during launch caused the orbiter to break apart during reentry, killing Brown and all six of his crewmates.
Astronaut Details
Born
April 16, 1956
Died
February 1, 2003
Birthplace
Arlington, Virginia, USA
Role
Mission Specialist
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes
Missions
STS-107
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous)
- Navy Distinguished Flying Cross