Arlington, Virginia

Inducted in 2003, David M. Brown received his Bachelor of Science in biology from the College of William and Mary in 1978 and earned his private pilot license at the Williamsburg Airport in the summer of 1978.  He received his Doctorate in Medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School and enlisted in the US Navy as Flight Surgeon in 1984.  In 1988, he was selected to attend the US Navy flight-training program.  After receiving his gold Naval aviator wings in 1990, he flew the A-6E, FA-18 and T-38 while continuing to serve as a flight surgeon.  While assigned as a flight surgeon to the US Navy Test Pilot School, he was selected to join the NASA astronaut-training program.  In 1996, he reported to Johnson Space Center for training as a Mission Specialist.   For two years he went through rigorous academic and hands-on training.  He was then assigned to STS-107 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.   On January 16, 2002, Brown and his fellow astronauts blasted off and orbited the earth for the next sixteen days conducting research and scientific experiments.   Unfortunately, STS-107 mission ended abruptly on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew perished during re-entry sixteen minutes before scheduled landing.  Captain Brown was the International Association of Military Flight Surgeon Pilots’ president in 1996 and the Navy’s Operational Flight Surgeon of the Year in 1986.  He logged over 2,700 flying hours, and 15 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes in space.