Vance D. Brand
American - (NASA)
Retired
Date of Birth: May 9, 1931
Age: 93
Vance DeVoe Brand is an American former naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. He served as Command Module Pilot during the first U.S.-Soviet joint spaceflight in 1975, and as Commander of three Space Shuttle missions. His flight experience includes 9,669 flying hours, which includes 8,089 hours in jets, 391 hours in helicopters, 746 hours in spacecraft, and checkout in more than 30 types of military aircraft. Vance Brand Airport in Longmont, Colorado, is named in his honor.
Saturn IB | Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
July 15, 1975, 7:50 p.m.
Status: Success
Mission:
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint US-Soviet space flight and the last crewed US space mission until the Space Shuttle program. The US side of mission began on July 15, 1975, 19:50:00 UTC, launching Commander Thomas P. Stafford, Command Module Pilot Vance D. Brand and Docking Module Pilot Donald K. Slayton into orbit. Two days later, they docked with the Soyuz 19 spacecraft. American and Soviet crews visited each other's spacecrafts, performed docking and redocking maneuvers, conducted joint scientific experiments, exchanged flags and gifts. Crews spent more than 44 hours together, and after final parting of the ships on July 19, Apollo crew spent nine more days in orbit, conducting Earth observation experiments. The Apollo crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1975, 21:18:0 UTC with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Low Earth Orbit
Space Shuttle Columbia / OV-102 | STS-5
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Nov. 11, 1982, 12:19 p.m.
Status: Success
Mission:
STS-5 marked the first fully operational mission of the Space Shuttle program, launched by the Columbia shuttle with four crew members. Known as the first satellite deployment mission, it successfully deployed two commercial communications satellites into orbit. STS-5 not only advanced satellite deployment techniques but also demonstrated the Space Shuttle's role in supporting commercial and scientific endeavors in space.
Low Earth OrbitSpace Shuttle Challenger / OV-099 | STS-41-B
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Feb. 3, 1984, 1 p.m.
Status: Success
Mission:
STS-41-B was the tenth Space Shuttle mission and the fourth of the Space Shuttle Challenger. It deployed 2 communication satellites and inluded the first untethered spacewalk. It was also the first shuttle mission to land at Kennedy Space Center.
Low Earth OrbitSpace Shuttle Columbia / OV-102 | STS-35
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Dec. 2, 1990, 6:49 a.m.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 9-13
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
New Shepard
NS-28
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USATwenty-eighth flight of New Shepard carrying six passengers.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 6-66
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAA batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Soyuz 2.1a
Progress MS-29 (90P)
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of KazakhstanProgress resupply mission to the International Space Station.
Starship
Integrated Flight Test 6
Orbital Launch Mount A - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USASixth test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle.
