David M. Brown

David Brown
Brown in September 2001
Born	David McDowell Brown (1956-04-16)April 16, 1956 Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Died	February 1, 2003(2003-02-01) (aged 46) Over Texas, U.S.
Cause of death	Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Education	College of William and Mary (BS) Eastern Virginia Medical School (MD)
Awards	Congressional Space Medal of Honor NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Captain, USN
Time in space	15d 22h 20m
Selection	NASA Group 16 (1996)
Missions	STS-107
Mission insignia

David McDowell Brown (April 16, 1956 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Navy captain and NASA astronaut. He died on his first spaceflight, when the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) disintegrated during orbital reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Brown became an astronaut in 1996 but had not served on a space mission prior to the Columbia disaster. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.^[1]