Colonel Brewster H. Shaw, Jr.

U.S. Air Force Astronaut (Ret.)

Cass City, Michigan

Col. Shaw received Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in engineering mechanics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1968 and 1969, respectively. He entered the Air Force in 1969. His various assignments included serving with the 352nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, and the 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, where he flew combat missions. He then attended the U.S.A.F. Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, from July 1975 to 1976. Col. Shaw was selected in the eighth group of astronauts in 1978. He served as pilot of STS-9 Columbia in November 1983, a 10 day mission featuring the first use of the Spacelab pressurized module and round-the-clock scientific operations. In November 1985 he served as commander of STS-61B Atlantis (23rd shuttle mission), which deployed three satellites and tested space station construction techniques. His third and final mission was as commander of STS-28 Columbia (30th shuttle mission), a classified Department of Defense mission, in August 1989. Shaw also led the Space Shuttle Orbiter Return to Flight Team following the loss of Space Shuttle Challenger in 1987. After leaving the astronaut program in 1989, some of his positions held included NASA’s Director of Space Shuttle Operations, Boeing’s International Space Station (ISS) Vice President and General Manager, Chief Operating Officer of United Space Alliance, and Boeing’s Vice President and General Manager of the NASA Systems business unit. Currently he serves as a director of the Space Foundation. He was inducted into the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995 and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006. During his three spaceflights he orbited Earth 357 times over 22 days, 5 hours, and 52 minutes in space. He is a descendent of William Shaw who sailed to America on the Mayflower.