Vance D. Brand

• ASTP (1975)
• STS -5 ( 1982)
• STS 41 -B ( 1984)
• STS -35 ( 1990)

Vance DeVoe Brand ( born May 9, 1931 in Longmont, Colorado, USA ) is a former American astronaut.

Brand graduated from high school in Longmont (Colorado). He then studied at the University of Colorado and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1953 and 1960 an additional bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering. In 1964 he earned from the University of California, a Masters in Management.

From 1953 to 1957 fire was a pilot in the U.S. Marines. After his release from active duty, he was for seven years an officer of the Reserve and flew in the Air National Guard.

Fire came in 1960 to the aircraft manufacturer Lockheed, where he initially worked as a test engineer for the P- 3 Orion. After Three years later he received his license as a test pilot, he went to California and tested the further development of the Lockheed fighter jet F -104 Starfighter. He also worked for a time as an F- 104 test pilot Istres in southern France, before joining NASA in 1966.

Astronauts activity

Brand was selected by NASA in the spring of 1966 for the U.S. space program and was a member of the fifth group of astronauts, which was presented on 4 April 1966. After basic training, he was a member of the support crews of Apollo 8 and Apollo 13

Apollo 18

On March 26, 1970, the crew of Apollo 15 was announced. Since usually the backup crew of three flights later, the home team was formed, Richard Gordon, Vance Brand and Jack Schmitt could make legitimate hopes to be nominated for Apollo 18. On 2 September 1970, he was rejected, Apollo 18 was just as Apollo 19 and Apollo 20 canceled by NASA.

Reserve crew for Skylab

As a crew for the backup crew for Skylab 3 were commander Vance Brand, pilot Don Lind ready science astronaut William Lenoir.

During the second Skylab mission Skylab 3 occurred in two of four control engine systems ( quads ) of the Apollo spacecraft problems. Although the spacecraft was fully controllable even with two quads, but there was a risk that the two were related defects and the remaining two quads failed, what would make a return to Earth impossible. Under normal circumstances, the mission would have been aborted. But because there was the possibility of a rescue flight, the problem could be analyzed in peace. At the same time the preparation of the rescue flights was in full swing. The work on the launch pad, rocket and spaceship ran from August 3, 1973 around the clock. For a start on 9 September would have been possible. As a crew for this rescue flight were commander and pilot Lind fire ready because these were the backup crew for Skylab 3 together with the science astronauts Lenoir. It was found that the two problems of the control engines were independent of each other, and the other two quad systems were not affected. As of August 13, 1973, then worked at the normal tempo, so that a start yet on September 25 would be possible. As of September 10, 1973, the spacecraft was kept in a state which would have made a start within the next nine days. With the splashdown of Skylab 3 on September 25, the launch date was put back to 10 November 1973. The problem was solved, the rescue crew was not used.

Apollo -Soyuz project

On July 15, 1975 fire started with the Apollo -Soyuz project for his first space flight as a pilot of the Apollo command module. The highlight of this mission was the historic meeting of the American astronauts with Soviet cosmonauts in space.

STS -5

As commander of the Columbia, he started on 11 November 1982, the STS- fifth This was the first flight with a four-man crew. During the 5-day flight for the first time were promoted two commercial communications satellites from the payload bay of the space shuttle into orbit.

STS -41 -B

On February 3, 1984 fire was the commander of mission STS -41 -B. Due to the two mission specialists McCandless and Stewart the Manned Maneuvering Unit and the Manipulator Foot Restraint was tested during two outboard activities.

STS 51 -H

STS -51- H was an Atlantis mission, which was canceled before the Challenger disaster. The Spacelab/EOM-1-Mission was scheduled for November 1985. As crew he had planned as commander and pilot Michael Smith, the three mission specialists Robert Stewart, Owen Garriott, Claude Nicollier and two payload specialists Byron Lichtenberg and Michael Lampton. This mission was canceled in late 1985 in a similar constellation planned as STS -61 -K.

STS 61- K

His fourth space flight should have performed fire as commander of STS -61 -K. This was a Columbia mission, which was canceled due to the Challenger disaster. The Spacelab/EOM-1-Mission was scheduled for October 1986. In addition to fire pilot David Griggs, Mission Specialists Robert Stewart, Owen Garriott and Claude Nicollier and the three payload specialists Byron Lichtenberg, Michael Lampton and Robert Stevenson were planned.

STS -71 -E

The Atlantis mission STS-71-E/SLS-1 that would have been scheduled for April 1987 has been canceled due to the Challenger disaster. At Brands crew members David Griggs, John Fabian, James Bagian, Rhea Seddon, Francis Gaffney and Robert Phillips had heard.

STS -35

To his last space flight launched fire as commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia on 2 December 1990 with the mission STS- 35th This was the first shuttle flight, which was entirely devoted to astronomy. At this time fire was at 59 years the oldest astronaut in space. 1996, this record was surpassed by the 61 -year-old Story Musgrave during the mission STS -80.

After 26 years as an astronaut fire ended in April 1992, his spaceman activity and coordinated for NASA at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio planning the experimental spacecraft NASP. As this program has been set, he went to the California Dryden Flight Research Center: In 1994 he headed the operations and was promoted in June 2001 to Deputy Director of Air and space projects. Fire left NASA in January 2008.