08/08/2026
in 1989, Valparaiso born-and-raised Mark Brown flew into outer space for the first time.
Born in 1951, Mark graduated from Valparaiso High School and then attended Purdue University on an ROTC scholarship, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering.
He was promptly commissioned in the US Air Force to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. He earned his pilot wings there before joining the 87th Fighter Interception Squadron.
He received a Master's degree in astronautical engineering at the US Air Force Institute of Technology of Air University, Dayton, Ohio, and was then assigned to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1980.
After several years in a support role—developing critical Space Shuttle procedures, training crews, and working in mission control—he was selected to the astronaut program in 1984. He finally gained an opportunity to break through the atmosphere on 8 August, 1989 with STS-28.
He was assigned a role as mission specialist for his first of two space flights. After 5 days of orbiting the Earth a total of 80 times, the mission concluded with a successful dry lakebed landing at Edwards Air Force Base.
Mark is a living example of our region's spirit, and proof of its ability to go beyond the sky's limits and straight through to the stars.
