Brewster H. Shaw
Brewster Shaw | |
---|---|
NASA astronaut | |
Rank | Colonel, USAF |
Time in space | 22d 5h 51m |
Selection | NASA Group 8 (1978) |
Missions | STS-9 STS-61-B STS-28 |
Mission insignia |
Brewster Hopkinson Shaw Jr. (born May 16, 1945) is a retired
Shaw is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and has logged 533 hours of space flight. He was pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia in November 1983, commander of Space Shuttle Atlantis in November 1985 and commander of Columbia in August 1989.
Following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986, he supported the Rogers Presidential Commission[2] investigating the accident. Shaw subsequently led the Space Shuttle Orbiter return-to-flight team chartered to enhance the safety of the vehicles’ operations.
Shaw worked as a manager at NASA until 1996 when he left the agency, retired from the Air Force and went to work in the private sector as an aerospace executive.
Early life and education
Shaw is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Brewster H. Shaw Sr. He was born May 16, 1945, and grew up in
While attending college Shaw was the member of a
U.S. Air Force pilot
Shaw entered the
In April 1973 Shaw reported to
NASA career
Shaw was selected by NASA to be an astronaut in January 1978 where he served on loan from the Air Force.
Space flight experience
STS-9
Shaw's first trip to space was as pilot on STS-9 Columbia from November 28 to December 8, 1983.[3]
His fellow crew included Commander
The crew conducted more than seventy multi-disciplinary scientific and technical investigations in the fields of life sciences,
STS-61B
Brewster Shaw first served as shuttle commander on
The crew included spacecraft commander Brewster Shaw; pilot,
During the mission the crew deployed the communications
Brewster Shaw told the NASA oral historian for STS-61-B that he installed a padlock on the hatch control because he was “particularly concerned” that the Mexican Rodolfo Neri Vela could “flip out” during the mission.[7] Shaw noted that he didn’t think that Neri Vela noticed the padlock at the time, but that other members of the crew did.[8]
STS-28
Shaw was the commander of
NASA management
Shaw left the Johnson Space Center in October 1989 to assume the NASA Headquarters senior executive position of deputy director, Space Shuttle operations, located at the Kennedy Space Center. As operations manager, Shaw was responsible for all operational aspects of the Space Shuttle Program and had Level II authority over the Space Shuttle elements from the time the Orbiters left the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), were mated to the external tank and solid rocket boosters, transported to the launch pad, launched and recovered and returned to the Orbiter Processing Facility. He was the final authority for the launch decision, and chaired the Mission Management Team.
Shaw moved on to serve as the Deputy Program Manager, Space Shuttle, as a NASA Headquarters employee located at the Kennedy Space Center. In addition to the duties he previously held, he also shared with the Space Shuttle Program Manager, full authority and responsibility for the conduct of the Space Shuttle Program.
He then served as Director, Space Shuttle Operations, with responsibility for the development of all Space Shuttle elements, including the Orbiter, external tank, solid rocket boosters, Space Shuttle main engines, the facilities required to support mission operations and in the planning necessary to efficiently conduct Space Shuttle operations.
Aerospace executive
Rockwell and Boeing
Shaw joined
Initially, Shaw served as director of major programs, Boeing Space and Defense Group. Then he became vice president and program manager of
United Space Alliance
In mid-2003, Brewster Shaw left Boeing and became the chief operating officer of United Space Alliance (USA). In that position he had primary responsibility for the day-to-day operations and overall management of USA, the prime contractor for the Space Shuttle Program, and its 10,000 employees in Florida, Texas, Alabama and Russia.[9]
Return to Boeing
In January 2006 he returned to the Boeing Company's Houston campus, to serve as the Vice President & General Manager of the division which controls Boeing's International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs.[10][11]
He retired from Boeing on August 26, 2011.[12]
Personal life
He is married and is the father of three children. His youngest son, Brandon (born in 1976), was murdered by carjackers in Austin, Texas in July 1997.[13]
Shaw is a descendant of
Awards and honors
Shaw has earned numerous honors and awards including 28 medals in Vietnam. He received the
References
- ^ U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies Archived November 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Pearlman, Robert (December 30, 2005). "Three Pilots to Join Astronaut Hall of Fame". Space.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f "Brewster H. Shaw Jr. VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER SPACE EXPLORATION BOEING, HOUSTON, TEXAS" (PDF). NASA. November 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ "Go Greek". Delta Upsilon website. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ Cassutt, Michael (March 1, 2009). "Max Q Live: In space no one can hear you sing". Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ a b "Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. Biography". NASA. November 1989. Archived from the original (TXT) on June 16, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-46143-430-6.
- ISBN 978-1-46143-430-6.
- ^ "USA Update" (PDF). Unites Space Alliance. March 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ "Brewster Shaw to head Boeing". Chron. January 18, 2006. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "Boeing Press Release". Boeing. January 11, 2006. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
- ^ "Boeing Press Release". Boeing. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Some murder victims' kin reject capital punishment, Death Penalty Information Center, December 22, 2003, retrieved February 11, 2011.
External links
- NBC and ABC News coverage of STS-9 part 1 on YouTube
- CNN coverage of the STS-61-B launch on YouTube
- 1989: STS-28 Columbia (DoD) on YouTube