Brewster Hopkinson Shaw Jr. (born May 16, 1945) is a retired NASA astronaut, colonel of the U.S. Air Force, and former Boeing executive. Shaw was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 6, 2006.
Shaw is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and has logged 533 hours of space flight. He was Pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia in November 1983, Commander of Atlantis in November 1985 and Commander of Columbia in August 1989.
Following the Challenger disaster in 1986, he supported the Rogers Presidential Commission which investigated the accident. Shaw subsequently led the Space Shuttle Orbiter Return-to-Flight team chartered to enhance the safety of the vehicles' operations.
Shaw worked as a manager at NASA until 1996 when he left the agency, retired from the Air Force, and went to work in the private sector as an aerospace executive.
Early life and education
Shaw is the son of Brewster H. Shaw, Sr. He was born May 16, 1945, and grew up in Michigan. He graduated from Cass City High School in Cass City, Michigan, in 1963. Shaw received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1968. He completed a Master of Science degree in Engineering Mechanics in 1969, also at UW-Madison.
While attending college Shaw was a member of a band called The Gentlemen. He credits his flying career to a fellow band member: "Our drummer, Steve Schimming, had a private pilot's license, and one day he took me up in his plane. From that moment on, I wanted to be a pilot."
U.S. Air Force pilot
Shaw entered the Air Force in 1969 after completing Officer Training School and attended undergraduate pilot training at Craig Air Force Base in Alabama. He received his pilot wings in 1970 and was then assigned to the F-100 Replacement Training Unit at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
In April 1973 Shaw reported to George Air Force Base, California, for F-4 instructor duties. Shaw attended the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, starting in July 1975. Following the completion of this training, he remained at Edwards AFB as an operational test pilot. He served as a flight instructor at the Test Pilot School from August 1977 to July 1978. Shaw noted that he did not think that Neri Vela noticed the padlock at the time, but that other members of the crew did.
Return to Boeing
In January 2006 he returned to Boeing's Houston campus, to serve as the vice president and general manager of the company's division which controls the ISS and shuttle programs.
He retired from Boeing on August 26, 2011.
Personal life
He is married and is the father of three children. His youngest son, Brandon (born in 1976), was murdered by carjackers in Austin, Texas in July 1997.
Shaw is a descendant of William Brewster of the Mayflower.
Awards and honors
Shaw has earned numerous honors and awards including 28 medals in the Vietnam War. He received the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with seven oak leaf clusters and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.