August 07

Jon McBride was a U.S. Navy captain selected as part of NASA's 1978 astronaut class. He served as pilot on Space Shuttle mission STS-41-G in October 1984, logging over 160 hours in orbit. After his flight, McBride oversaw shuttle operations as director of the Kennedy Space Center. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he flew more than 50 combat missions before joining NASA. His career bridged military aviation and space exploration, contributing to the Shuttle program’s early successes.