Bryan D. O'Connor
Bryan Daniel O'Connor is a retired United States Marine Corps colonel, NASA astronaut, shuttle , and NASA safety leader. His career is notable because he moved from flight crew operations into major agency safety and program-management roles after Challenger.
- Born
- September 6, 1946
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Orange, California,United States
Flights
2
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
15 days, 23 hours, 18 minutes
Bio
O'Connor graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1968 and earned a master's degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida. As a Marine aviator and test pilot, he flew A-4 and AV-8 Harrier aircraft and worked at Patuxent River before NASA selection.
He piloted STS-61-B in 1985 and commanded STS-40 in 1991. STS-61-B deployed several satellites and tested construction techniques, while STS-40 was the first dedicated Spacelab life-sciences mission.
After his flights, O'Connor held significant NASA management posts, including shuttle safety recovery work after Challenger, Space Shuttle Program director, and Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance. He retired from NASA in 2011.