Last Updated: 08 May, 2023 | Views: 561
Age: 93
Profession: Astronaut
Other Profession(s): Engineer, Naval Aviator, Test pilot
Famous For: American astronaut and test pilot
Higher Education: University of California (BS, MS)
About (Profile/Biography):
Vance D. Brand, a well-known American astronaut, was born in Colorado. Vance is a retired NASA astronaut who flew on several space missions, including the Skylab 3 and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project missions. Vance also served as the commander of the STS-41-B and STS-35 missions.
Vance D. Brand's Professional Career:
Vance received a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of Colorado in 1953 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1960.
Vance joined the United States Air Force in 1953 and served as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. After his service in the Air Force, Brand worked for Lockheed Corporation as a test pilot and later as a program manager.
Vance has logged over 1,400 hours in space and has been awarded numerous honors for his service, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He retired from NASA in 1992 and currently resides in California.
Brand's next spaceflight was as the commander of the STS-41-B mission in 1984, which deployed the first set of satellites for the Strategic Defense Initiative. He also served as the commander of the STS-35 mission in 1990, the first mission to use the ASTRO observatory to study astronomical objects' ultraviolet and X-ray spectra.
Vance D. Brand Achievements and Awards:
Vance was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1966 and flew on his first space mission, Skylab 3, in 1973.
Brand served as the command module pilot on this mission and spent 59 days in space. In 1975, he flew on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first joint U.S.-Soviet space mission.
Vance D. Brand Unknown Facts:
Vance was the backup docking module pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project