Mark N. Brown 

Mark N. Brown graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1973. He then joined the U.S. Air Force, earning his pilot wings a year later. Over the next six years, Brown flew T-33 and F-106 aircraft, obtained a master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and completed the Air Command and Staff College. He moved to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to work on Space Shuttle contingency procedures in 1980 and became an astronaut in 1985. In the latter role, Brown orbited the Earth 161 times and logged more than 10 days in space, spanning two missions: Columbia (STS-28) in 1989 and Discovery (STS-48) in 1991. After retiring from NASA in 1993, he held senior leadership positions at General Research Corporation, AT&T Government Solutions, Computer Sciences Corporation, MTC Technologies, BAE Systems, and Peerless Technologies Corporation. Brown, a retired Air Force colonel, received numerous honors during his career, including the Air Force Command Pilot designation and NASA Space Flight Medal.