Daniel Brandenstein Daniel Charles Brandenstein ( born January 17 , 1943 , Watertown , Wisconsin , United States ) , is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of United Space Alliance . He is a former Naval Aviator and NASA astronaut who flew four Space Shuttle missions . NASA experience . Selected by NASA in January 1978 , Brandenstein became an astronaut in August 1979 . He was ascent spacecraft communicator ( CAPCOM ) and a member of the astronaut support crew for STS - 1 ( the first flight of the Space Shuttle ) . He was subsequently assigned to the STS - 2 astronaut support crew and was the ascent CAPCOM for the first two Space Shuttle flights . A veteran of four space flights — STS - 8 ( August 30 - September 3 , 1983 ) , STS - 51 - G ( June 17 – 24 , 1985 ) , STS - 32 ( January 9 – 20 , 1990 ) , and STS - 49 ( May 7 – 16 , 1992 ) - - Brandenstein has logged over 789 hours in space . Following his second space flight , he served as the Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations . Between April 1987 and September 1992 Brandenstein served as Chief of the Astronaut Office . He retired from NASA and the United States Navy in October 1992 . Space flight experience . Brandenstein was pilot on STS - 8 , his first flight , which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center , Florida , on August 30 , 1983 . This was the third flight for the Orbiter " Challenger " and the first mission with a night launch and night landing . During the mission , crew members deployed the Indian National Satellite ( INSAT - 1B ) ; operated the Canadian - built Remote Manipulator System ( RMS ) with the Payload Flight Test Article ( PFTA ) ; operated the Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System ( CFES ) with live cell samples ; conducted medical measurements to understand biophysiological effects on space flight and activated various Earth resources and space science experiments along with four " Getaway Special " canisters . STS - 8 completed 98 orbits of the Earth in 145 hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base , California , on September 3 , 1983 . On his second mission ( June 17 – 24 , 1985 ) , Brandenstein commanded the crew of STS - 51 - G aboard the Orbiter " Discovery " . During this seven - day mission , crew members deployed communications satellites for Mexico ( Morelos ) , the Arab League ( Arabsat ) and the United States ( AT & T Telstar ) . They used the Remote Manipulator System ( RMS ) to deploy and later retrieve the SPARTAN satellite , which performed 17 hours of X - ray astronomy experiments while separated from the Space Shuttle . In addition , the crew activated the Automated Directional Solidification Furnace ( ADSF ) and six " Getaway Specials " , they also participated in biomedical experiments and conducted a laser tracking experiment as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative . The mission was accomplished in 112 Earth orbits over approximately 170 hours . Brandenstein then commanded the crew of STS - 32 ( January 9 – 20 , 1990 ) . In the longest Shuttle mission to date , crew members aboard the Orbiter " Columbia " successfully deployed the Syncom IV - F5 satellite , and retrieved the 9 , 724 kg ( 21 , 393 lb ) Long Duration Exposure Facility ( LDEF ) using the RMS . They also conducted a variety of mid - deck experiments , including the Microgravity Disturbance Experiment ( MDE ) using the Fluids Experiment Apparatus ( FEA ) , Protein Crystal Growth ( PCG ) , American Flight Echocardiograph ( AFE ) , Latitude / Longitude Locator ( L3 ) , Mesoscale Lightning Experiment ( MLE ) , Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms ( CNCR ) and the IMAX camera . Additionally , numerous medical test objectives , including in - flight Lower Body Negative Pressure ( LBNP ) , in - flight aerobic exercise and muscle performance were conducted to evaluate human adaptation to extended duration missions . Following 173 orbits of the Earth in 261 hours , the mission ended with a night landing in California . Brandenstein also commanded the crew of STS - 49 ( May 7 – 16 , 1992 ) , on the maiden flight of the new Space Shuttle " Endeavour " . During this mission , the crew conducted the initial test flight of " Endeavour " , performed a record four EVAs ( space walks ) to retrieve , repair and re - deploy the International Telecommunications Satellite ( INTELSAT ) and to demonstrate and evaluate numerous EVA tasks to be used for the assembly of the Space Station ' Freedom ' . Additionally , a variety of medical , scientific and operational tests were conducted throughout the mission . STS - 49 logged 213 hours in space and 141 Earth orbits before landing at Edwards AFB , where the crew conducted the first test of the " Endeavour " ' s drag chute . With the completion of his fourth flight , Brandenstein logged over 789 hours in space . Military experience . Brandenstein entered active duty with the U . S . Navy in September 1965 and was attached to the Naval Air Training Command for flight training . He was designated a Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station Beeville , Texas , in May 1967 , and then proceeded to squadron VA - 128 for A - 6 fleet replacement training . From 1968 to 1970 , while attached to VA - 196 flying A - 6 Intruder s , he participated in two combat deployments on board the USS " Constellation " and the USS " Ranger " to Southeast Asia where he flew 192 combat missions . In subsequent assignments , he was attached to VX - 5 for the conduct of operational tests of A - 6 weapons systems and tactics ; and to the Naval Air Test Center , where upon graduation from the U . S . Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River , Maryland , he conducted tests of electronic warfare systems in various Navy aircraft . Brandenstein carried out a nine month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean on board the USS " Ranger " while attached to VA - 145 , flying A - 6 Intruders during the period March 1975 to September 1977 . Before reporting to the Johnson Space Center in Houston as an astronaut candidate , he was attached to VA - 128 as an A - 6 flight instructor . He has logged 6 , 400 hours flying time in 24 different types of aircraft and has made 400 carrier landings . Personal . Brandenstein was born January 17 , 1943 , in Watertown , Wisconsin . He is married to the former Jane A . Wade of Balsam Lake , Wisconsin . They have one daughter . His recreational interests include skiing , sailing , basketball , softball , golf and woodworking . Education . He graduated from Watertown High School , Watertown , Wisconsin , in 1961 . He received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls in 1965 . While at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls , Brandenstein was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity . Organizations . Brandenstein is an Associate Fellow , American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ( AIAA ) . He is also a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots ( SETP ) , the Association of Space Explorers , the United States Naval Institute and the Association of Naval Aviation . Special honors and awards . He was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster , the Legion of Merit , the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Defense Meritorious Service Medal , 17 Air Medal s , the Navy Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster and Valor device , a Meritorious Unit Commendation , two NASA Distinguished Service Medal s , two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal s , four NASA Space Flight Medal s , the National Defense Service Medal , the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal , the Vietnam Service Medal , a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon , the French Legion of Honor , the Medal of King Abdul Aziz ( Saudi Arabia ) , the Vietnam Air Gallantry Cross , the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal . He is a Distinguished Alumnus at the University of Wisconsin , River Falls ; an Honorary Doctor of Engineering at the Milwaukee School of Engineering ; an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls . Brandenstein is a recipient of the SETP Iven C . Kincheloe Award , the AIAA Haley Space Flight Award , the Federation Aeronautique Internationale ( FAI ) Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal and the American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Award . He was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 1992 . Source : NASA Astronaut Biographies http : / / www . jsc . nasa . gov / Bios / htmlbios / brandenstein - dc . html