Former Apollo Astronaut Vance Brand leads a discussion about Apollo and beyond at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, with deputy center director Patrick Stoliker.

Vance D. Brand portrait after being selected for the Apollo program. (JSC photo S71-51263)

S86-38100 (2 Oct. 1986) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand.

S71-51263 (21 Sept. 1971) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin (left) and Apollo-Soyuz and space shuttle astronaut Vance Brand discuss Dryden's work on an Orion fit-check crew module mockup.

AST-06-344 (15-24 July 1975) --- Two American ASTP crewmen, astronauts Thomas P. Stafford (foreground) and Vance D. Brand are seen in the Apollo Command Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

AST-08-499 (15-24 July 1975) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP crew, is seen at the controls of the Apollo Command Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

S90-34964 (16 April 1990) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, STS-35 commander, is suspended via his parachute harness above the pool in the Johnson Space Center?s (JSC) Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 during launch emergency egress exercises. Divers in the pool hold Brand's feet to steady him. In the background and on the poolside is pilot Guy S. Gardner. Both Brand and Gardner are wearing launch and entry suits (LES) and launch and entry helmets (LEH).

The crew assigned to the STS-41B (STS-11) mission included (seated left to right) Vance D. Brand, commander; and Robert L. Gibson, pilot. Standing left to right are mission specialists Robert L. Stewart, Ronald E. McNair, and Bruce McCandless. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on February 3, 1984 at 8:00:00 am (EST), the STS-41B mission marked the first untethered space walks which were performed by McCandless and Stewart. The crew deployed the WESTAR-VI and PALAPA-B2 satellites.

SA-210 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) awaits the launch scheduled on July 15, 1975 on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center, the ASTP mission with astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald "Deke" Slayton. The Saturn IB, developed under the direction of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), launched five manned Earth-orbital missions between 1968 and 1975: Apollo 7, Skylab 2, Skylab 3, Skylab 4, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project .

AST-06-318 (15-24 July 1975) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP crew, is seen in the hatchway leading from the Apollo Command Module (CM) into the Apollo Docking Module (DM) during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The 35mm camera is looking from the DM into the CM.

STS005-10-381 (16 Nov. 1982) --- Half of the four-member astronaut crew for the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia’s STS-5 mission is pictured on the flight deck of the reusable vehicle. Astronaut Vance D. Brand, commander, holds down the commander’s station at left, while astronaut Robert F. Overmyer, pilot, points to data on one of three cathode ray tubes (CRT) on the forward flight deck. The photograph was made by astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV, one of two mission specialists on the flight. Not pictured are Dr. Allen and astronaut William B. Lenoir, the other mission specialist for this flight. Photo credit: NASA

STS005-10-376 (11-16 Nov. 1982) --- Half of the four-member astronaut crew for the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia?s STS-5 mission is pictured on the flight deck of the reusable vehicle. Astronaut Vance D. Brand, commander, holds down the commander?s station at left, while astronaut Robert F. Overmyer, pilot, points to data on one of three cathode ray tubes (CRT) on the forward flight deck. The photograph was made by astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV, one of two mission specialists on the flight. Not pictured are Dr. Allen and astronaut William B. Lenoir, the other mission specialist for this flight. Photo credit: NASA

The Context Camera aboard NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovers new dark spots on Mars that, upon closer examination, turn out to be brand new impact craters.

This montage consists of 8 individual STS-35 crew member portraits surrounding the mission’s insignia. Starting from top center, clockwise, are Vance D. Brand, commander; mission specialists Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, John M. (Mike) Lounge, and Dr. Jeffery A. Hoffman; Colonel Guy S. Gardner, pilot; and payload specialists Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck, Dr. Samual T. Durrance, and Dr. Ronald A. Parise. The crew of 8 launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia on December 2, 1990 at 1:19:01am (EST). The primary objective of the mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultrviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, Marshall Space Flight Center ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew.

STS035-05-036 (2-10 Dec 1990) --- STS-35 Commander Vance D. Brand, wearing headset, communicates with family members using Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) on Columbia's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102's, middeck. SAREX and its portable laptop computer mounted on the outside of the middeck sleep station allowed the STS-35 crewmembers to "visit" and briefly share some of their in space experiences with family members. It also provided radio transmissions between ground based amateur radio operators around the world and OV-102. The experiment enabled students from all over the United States to have a chance to communicate with a crewmember in space.

Egress training of Orbiter Simulator, Bldg. 9A, (Technical Services Facility). S78-34922 - Fullerton & Brand, suited. 1. SHUTTLE - CREW TRAINING 2. VANCE D. BRAND - EGRESS TRAINING 3. CHARLES G. FULLERTON - EGRESS TRAINING JSC, HOUSTON, TX

S75-21627 (13 Feb. 1975) --- Two crewmen of the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission participate in ASTP training in Building 35 at the Johnson Space Center. They are astronaut Vance D. Brand (left), command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew; and cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew. They are in the Soyuz spacecraft orbital module mock-up. Brand and Kubasov are going through a walk-through simulation of the second day of activities in Earth orbit. Brand takes some pictures.

S75-28485 (12 July 1975) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew, practices operating a Docking Module hatch during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project preflight training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The Docking Module is designed to link the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft during their docking mission in Earth orbit. Gary L. Doerre of JSC?s Crew Training and Procedures Division is working with Brand. Doerre is wearing a face mask to help prevent possible exposure to Brand of disease prior to the ASTP launch.

Crew ingress and beginnings of 7 1/2-day Manned Thermal Vacuum Test with Astronauts Joe Engle, Dr. Joseph Kerwin and Brand in the Apollo S/C-2TV-1, Chamber "A", Bldg. 32. Note - 35mm BW (S68-35881 thru S68-35882) - 120 CN (S68-35883 thru S68-35908) 1. ASTRONAUT BRAND, VANCE D. - VACUUM TEST 2. ASTRONAUT KERWIN, JOSEPH - VACUUM TEST 3. ASTRONAUT ENGLE, JOE - VACUUM MSC, HOUSTON, TX

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Apollo astronaut Vance Brand shares his experiences with an eager crowd gathered for NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration of the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. Brand was Apollo command module pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in July 1975. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Vance Brand speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Brand, along with astronaut Don Lind, were prepared to fly a mission to rescue a Skylab crew if their Apollo command-service module was unusable. Brand went on to fly as pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and missions aboard the space shuttle. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Children enjoy a brand new playground at Kennedy Space Center’s Child Development Center on Aug. 10, 2023. The playground officially opened following a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier in the day.

Children enjoy a brand new playground at Kennedy Space Center’s Child Development Center on Aug. 10, 2023. The playground officially opened following a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier in the day.

S84-26244 (31 Jan 1984) --- Astronauts Vance D. Brand, foreground, and Ronald E. McNair, of NASA's STS-41B Space Shuttle Challenger crew, prepare to climb into a T-38 jet aircraft readied for takeoff to Florida and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Brand is making his third Spaceflight, including his second as a Shuttle flight crew commander. McNair, mission specialist, will be making his first trip into space. Launch for STS-41B is scheduled for 8 a.m. (EST), February 3, 1984. This photo was taken by Otis Imboden.

S90-38029 (21 May 1990) --- STS-35 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, crewmembers commander Vance D. Brand, pilot Guy S. Gardner, mission specialists Jeffrey A. Hoffman, John M. Lounge, Robert A. R. Parker, payload specialists Samuel T. Durrance and Ronald A. Parise and backup payload specialist Kenneth Nordsieck take a break from training activities and pose on the 195-Floor Level on Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). On left from front to back are Brand, Parise, Lounge and Gardner and on right from front to back are Parker, Nordsieck, and Hoffman. View provided by KSC with alternate number KSC-90PC-670.

STS005-06-210 (16 Nov. 1982) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand (in dark blue shirt), STS-5 commander; Robert F. Overmyer (left), pilot; and William B. Lenoir, mission specialist, conduct microgravity experiments with food containers and meal tray assemblies in front of middeck port side wall and side hatch. Brand prepares to eat as meal tray assembly floats above his chest and Overmeyer and Lenoir look on. Sign on port side wall is labeled STS-5 message board. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Apollo astronaut Vance Brand is applauded during NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration of the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. At left is Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke. Eight Apollo astronauts participated in the ceremony. Brand was Apollo command module pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that resulted in the historic meeting in space between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts. The linkup of Apollo and Soyuz tested a unique, new docking system and demonstrated international cooperation in space. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

STS005-07-267 (12 Nov. 1982) --- A pre-set 35mm camera?s exposure of all four STS-5 astronaut crew members reveals a bit of their humorous side. The sign held by astronaut Vance D. Brand, crew commander, refers to the successful deployment of two commercial communications satellites on the flight's first two days. Brand is surrounded by, clockwise, left to right, astronauts William B. Lenoir, mission specialist, Robert F. Overmyer, pilot, and Joseph O. Allen IV, mission specialist, in the middeck area of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. Photo credit: NASA

S84-26243 (31 Jan 1984) --- Astronaut Robert L. Gibson, one of five 41-B crewmembers, prepares to leave Houston?s Ellington Base in a T-38 jet aircraft en route to Florida and the Kennedy Space Center, site of February 3?s launch of the Challenger. Gibson, along with two other members of this crew, began training at JSC in July in 1978. He will be joined by Astronauts Vance D. Brand, commander; and Bruce McCandless II, Ronald E. McNair and Robert L. Stewart, all mission specialists. Brand and McCandless came aboard as NASA astronauts in April 1966.

STS005-06-206 (11-16 Nov. 1982) --- Astronaut Joseph P. Allen, STS-5 mission specialist, watches a can of food and a notebook drift on the middeck as Vance C. Brand, commander, (left) and William B. Lenoir, mission specialist, (far left) work at forward middeck lockers. Photo credit: NASA

S76-20264 (1975) --- Farouk El-Baz (second right) is seen with ASTP Crewmen T. Stafford, V. Brand and D. Slayton during training activity, Bldg. 5 prior to liftoff in mid-July 1975. They are studying geographic aerial photographs & maps. Photo credit: NASA

NASA entertainment and branding liaison Bert Ulrich participates in a panel discussion during a Richard Danne dedication event, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A suit technician helps ASTP astronaut Thomas Stafford don his pressure suit. After suitup, Stafford and crewmen Vance Brand and Donald Slayton walked to the transfer van for the trip to the launch pad.

NASA 916, a T-38 jet aircraft, carrying astronauts Vance D. Brand (front station) and Robert F. Overmyer, heads for Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 1. STS-5 - PREFLIGHT KSC, FL Also available in 4x5 CN

S76-20263 (1975) --- Farouk El-Baz (wearing face mask) is seen with ASTP crewmen T. Stafford, V. Brand and D. Slayton during training activity, Bldg. 5 prior to liftoff in mid-July 1975. They are studying geographic aerial photographs & maps. Photo credit: NASA

S78-27531 (22 March 1978) --- These eight men have been named on four two-man crews who will fly the space shuttle orbiter vehicle during orbital flight tests (OFT) scheduled to begin in 1979. Pictured during their press conference, right to left, astronauts John W. Young, Robert L. Crippen, Joe H. Engle, Richard H. Truly, Fred W. Haise Jr., Jack R. Lousma, Vance D. Brand and C. Gordon Fullerton. Young and Crippen are commander and pilot, respectively, for the first OFT mission. Other crews are comprised of Engle, commander, and Truly, pilot; Haise, commander, and Lousma, pilot; Brand, commander, and Fullerton, pilot. Photo credit: NASA

S75-23431 (8 March 1975) --- Astronaut Donald K. Slayton attaches his life preserver as he egresses an Apollo Command Module trainer in a water tank in Building 260 during water egress training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The crewmen exit through the hatch when the CM is in this stable I (apex up) position; and they egress through the tunnel when the CM is in a stable II (apex down) position. Astronauts Vance D. Brand (on left) and Thomas P. Stafford have already egressed the trainer and are seated in a three-man life raft. This training session was part of the preparations for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for July 1975. These three men compose the American ASTP prime crew. Stafford is the commander, Brand is the command module pilot, and Slayton is the docking module pilot.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronauts, from the left, Vance Brand, William Thornton and Karol Bobko recall experiences during the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Each went on to fly missions during the Space Shuttle Program. Brand was also pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S74-28649 (16 Sept. 1974) --- Three crewmen of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project are seated in a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft orbital module mock-up in Building 35 during ASTP simulation training at the Johnson Space Center. They are cosmonaut Anatoliy V. Filipchenko (left background), commander of the Soviet ASTP second (backup) crew; cosmonaut Nikolay N. Rukavishnikov (left foreground), engineer on the crew; and astronaut Vance D. Brand (right), command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew. The hatch in the background leads to the Docking Module. During the exercise the American ASTP crew and the Soviet ASTP crew simulated docking the Apollo and Soyuz in Earth orbit and transferring to each other?s spacecraft. Here, Brand is visiting the Soyuz spacecraft. The crewmen are training in both the U.S. and the USSR for the joint mission scheduled for the summer of 1975.

S84-26325 (3 Feb. 1984) --- Beginning a busy year, NASA's space shuttle Challenger, attached to two solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank which it will later jettison, blasts off from Pad A at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 at 8:00 a.m. (EST), Feb. 3, 1984. Inside the spacecraft are astronauts Vance D. Brand, Robert L. Gibson, Bruce McCandless II, Ronald E. McNair and Robert L. Stewart. Brand is making his first trip in the Challenger but his second STS flight and third spaceflight overall. The rest of the crew members are experiencing space travel for the first time. Marking a space first, this flight will be landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA

S84-26327 (3 Feb. 1984) --- Beginning a busy year, NASA's space shuttle Challenger, attached to two solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank which it will later jettison, blasts off from Pad A at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 at 8:00 a.m. (EST), Feb. 3, 1984. Inside the STS 41-B spacecraft are astronauts Vance D. Brand, Robert L. Gibson, Bruce McCandless II, Ronald E. McNair and Robert L. Stewart. Brand is making his first trip in the Challenger but his second STS flight and third spaceflight overall. The rest of the crew members are experiencing space travel for the first time. Marking a space first, this flight will be landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA

S74-28972 (20 Sept. 1974) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand (foreground) and cosmonaut Aleksandr S. Ivanchenko are seated in the Docking Module trainer in Building 35 during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project simulation training at the Johnson Space Center. Brand is the command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew. Ivanchenko is the engineer on the Soviet ASTP fourth crew (backup). During the exercise the American ASTP crew and the Soviet ASTP crew simulated docking the Apollo and Soyuz in Earth orbit and transferring to each other?s spacecraft. The Docking Module is designed to link the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft. The ASTP crewmen are training in both the U.S. and USSR for the joint mission scheduled for the summer of 1975. This view is looking from inside the Command Module into the Docking Module. The hatchway loading into the Soyuz spacecraft orbital module mock-up is in the background.

S75-21599 (12 Feb. 1975) --- Six Apollo-Soyuz Test Project crewmen participate in joint crew training in Building 35 at the Johnson Space Center. They are (wearing flight suits), left to right, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American ASTP prime crew; astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot on Stafford?s crew; cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot on Stafford?s crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; and cosmonaut Vladimir A. Dzhanibekov, commander of the Soviet ASTP third (backup) crew. Brand is seated next to the hatch of the Apollo Command Module trainer. This picture was taken during a ?walk-through? of the first day?s activities in Earth orbit. The other men are interpreters and training personnel.

S74-20797 (23 April 1974) --- Candidate food items being considered for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission are sampled by three ASTP crewmen in Building 4 at the Johnson Space Center. They are, left to right, cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet ASTP crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP crew; and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP crew. Kubasov is marking a food rating chart on which the crewmen mark their choices, likes and dislikes of the food being sampled. Brand is drinking orange juice from an accordion-like dispenser. Leonov is eating butter cookies. The two Soviet crewmen will have an opportunity to eat with the three American crewmen while the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft are docked in Earth orbit. Leonov and Kubasov will dine on food being chosen individually by them now.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Commanding Officer of the USS New Orleans, Captain Ralph E. Neiger, welcomes aboard ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Donald Slayton and Vance Brand. The astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii at 5:18 p.m. today, ending the nine-day ASTP mission. Themission was highlighted by the rendezvous and docking with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – With CNN correspondent John Zarella (left) moderating, Apollo astronauts (at the dais) Buzz Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Vance Brand, Gerald Carr and Bruce McCandless share stories of their experiences during NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration of the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. The ceremony was held in the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA’s Glenn Research Center opened the doors to a brand-new mission-focused facility that will support the agency’s Artemis and Advanced Air Mobility missions. On Aug. 30, NASA management and local officials cut the ribbon to the Aerospace Communications Facility (ACF), a new building designed for advanced radio frequency (RF) and optical communication technology research and development. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The ASTP Apollo Command Module is lowered onto the deck of the USS New Orleans following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii, at 5:18 p.m. today. Once aboard the ship, the ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald Slayton emerged from the spacecraft and participated in ceremonies during which they spoke by telephone to President Gerald Ford. The splashdown ended the crew's historic nine-day mission, highlighted by their rendezvous and docking with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft while in Earth orbit.

S82-36286 (15 Aug. 1982) --- These four men will be aboard the space shuttle Columbia for NASA's first operational Space Transportation System (STS) mission. They are astronauts Vance D. Brand (second left), STS-5 commander; Robert F. Overmyer (second right), pilot; and Joseph P. Allen (left) and William B. Lenoir, both mission specialists. They pose with a space shuttle model and the official insignia for STS-5. Their flight is scheduled for November of this year. Photo credit: NASA

S75-28547 (15 July 1975) --- The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project's (ASTP) NASA Apollo/Saturn 1B space vehicle is launched from Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 3:50 p.m. (EDT), July 15, 1975, to begin Apollo's catch-up journey toward the already Earth-orbiting Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. Aboard the Apollo spacecraft were astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. (Deke) Slayton.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Closing NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Center Director Bob Cabana thanks the Apollo astronauts who participated. Seen here are Charlie Duke (behind Cabana), Vance Brand and Gerald Carr. The celebration honored the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the Pacific Recovery Task Force secure the ASTP Apollo spacecraft as the USS New Orleans approaches to pick up the spacecraft and astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The Apollo splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii, at 5:18 p.m., ending the nine-day joint US_USSR space mission.

S74-14949 (October 1974) --- Artist?s drawings and call-outs depict phases of the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, an Earth-orbital mission which will feature rendezvous and docking of the respective spacecraft of the two nations. ASTP crewmen for the USSR include Aleksey A. Leonov and Valeriy N. Kubasov. The astronaut team includes astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton. The mission is scheduled to take place in summer 1975.

S75-28550 (15 July 1975) --- The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project's (ASTP) NASA Apollo/Saturn 1B space vehicle is launched from Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 3:50 p.m. (EDT), July 15, 1975, to begin Apollo's catch-up journey toward the already Earth-orbiting Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. Aboard the Apollo spacecraft were astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. (Deke) Slayton.

41B-07-230 (S84-27027) (3-11 February 1984) ---Astronaut Robert L. Gibson, 41-B pilot, reviews some teleprinter copy on the flight deck?s starboard station during the eight-day 41-B Space Shuttle mission. Four other astronauts share the Challenger with Gibson. They are Astronauts Vance D. Brand, commander; and Ronald E. McNair, Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart, all mission specialists. The photograph was taken from the commander?s station with a 35mm camera.

S84-27154 (11 Feb 1984) --- The first Space Shuttle landing on the Kennedy Space Center?s landing facility was recorded by a ground camera on February 11, 1984. A T-38 chase plane trails the Challenger. The nose gear has not yet touched down in this scene. Aboard the spacecraft were Astronauts Vance D. Brand, commander; Robert L. Gibson, pilot; and Bruce McCandless II, Ronald R. McNair and Robert L. Stewart, all mission specialists.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Commander Vance Brand and Pilot Robert 'Hoot' Gibson guide spaceship Challenger to the first-ever landing at Kennedy Space Center. The historic touchdown occurred at 7:15:55 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1984. Also aboard were Mission Specialists Bruce McCandless II, Ronald McNair and Robert Stewart. Photo credit: NASA

S75-24108 (8-10 Feb. 1975) --- A group of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project crewmen inspects an Apollo spacesuit during a three-day tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They were at KSC to look over ASTP launch facilities and flight hardware. The six men wearing white caps are, left to right, cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, interpreter K.S. Samofal (far end of table), astronaut Vance D. Brand, cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, cosmonaut Vladimir A. Shatalov and astronaut Donald K. Slayton.

Crew onboard portrait taken on port side middeck shows Commander Brand holding Ace Moving Co sign (partially obscured, near center) and surrounded by Pilot Overmyer (in light t-shirt), Mission Specialist (MS) Allen (center bottom) and MS Lenoir (center top). The sign refers to the successful deployment of two commercial communications satellites on the flight's first two days.

From left to right, Pentagram designer Michael Bierut, NASA entertainment and branding liaison Bert Ulrich, and Amazon Music head of live event merchandise Julia Heiser, participate in a panel discussion during a Richard Danne dedication event, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Apollo astronauts who participated in NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center pose for photographers and guests. From left are Al Worden, Edgar Mitchell, Walt Cunningham, Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke, Vance Brand, Gerald Carr and Bruce McCandless. The celebration honored the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

STS035-S-021 (2 Dec 1990) --- The Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off Launch Pad 39B at 1:49 a.m. (EST), Dec. 2, 1990. Primary payload onboard is the Astro-1 astronomical laboratory, headed for a ten-day fight dedicated to the single discipline of astrophysics. Crewmembers are five astronauts--Vance D. Brand, Guy S. Gardner, John M. (Mike) Lounge, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Robert A.R. Parker--and two payload specialists--Samuel T. Durrance and Ronald A. Parise.

STS035-S-016 (2 Dec 1990) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, right, leads the STS 35 crew toward a transfer van that will take them from the nearby operations and checkout (O&C) building to Launch Complex 39. Trailing the mission commander, left to right, are Robert A. R. Parker, Samuel T. Durrance, Ronald A. Parise, John M. (Mike) Lounge, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Guy S. Gardner.

S75-22856 (25 Feb. 1975) --- An interior view of the Soyuz orbital module mock-up in Building 35 during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The ASTP crewmen are astronaut Vance D. Brand (on left), command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew; and cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew. The training session simulated activities on the second day in Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The three main parachutes lower the ASTP Apollo Command Module into the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. The splashdown at 5:18 p.m. ended the nine-day mission for ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The Apollo was picked up by the USS New Orleans after which the crewmen participated in ceremonies on the ship's deck.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Ground crew members perform initial post-landing procedures on orbiter Challenger as the the crew, the first-ever to experience both launch and landing at KSC, prepare to exit the spaceship. Touchdown was at 7:15:55 a.m. EST on Feb. 11. Crew members for the historic Mission 41-B STS-11 are Commander Vance D. Brand, Pilot Robert L.'Hoot' Gibson, and Mission Specialists Bruce McCandless II, Robert L. Stewart and Ronald E. McNair. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- ASTP asstronauts Donald slayton, Vance Brand and Thomas Stafford leave the transfer van at Complex 39's Pad B and enter the pad elevator during the Countdown Demonstration Test. The test, a step-by-step dress rehearsal for the July 15 launch, simulates the actual countdown but without the propellants in the Saturn IB launch vehicle's fuel tanks. The fueled portion of the test was conducted yesterday.

From left to right, moderator and Washington Post design reporter Shelly Tan, creator of the NASA worm logotype Richard Danne, Pentagram designer Michael Bierut, NASA entertainment and branding liaison Bert Ulrich, and Amazon Music head of live event merchandise Julia Heiser, participate in a panel discussion during a Richard Danne dedication event, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

S75-22747 (25 Feb. 1975) --- An interior view of the Apollo Command Module trainer in Building 35 showing the three American ASTP prime crewmen lying in their couches during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are, left to right, astronauts Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot; and Thomas P. Stafford, commander.

Christian Gonzales, 11 (right), watches as his little brother Walter, 2, adds his own brand of good wishes to a banner encouraging the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery on NASA's Return to Flight mission, scheduled to launch in summer 2005. The brothers, of Baton Rouge, were participating in a Camp Kids event at The Mall at Cortana, where Return to Flight activities were presented by NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC).

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Apollo astronaut Bruce McCandless shares his experiences with spectators crowd gathered for NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration of the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. Other Apollo astronauts on the dais are (from left) Buzz Aldrin, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Gerald Carr and Vance Brand. Astronaut Walt Cunningham is hidden behind Mitchell. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S75-29719 (24 July 1975) --- The ASTP Apollo Command Module, with astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton aboard, nears a touchdown in the Central Pacific Ocean to conclude the historic joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The spacecraft splashed down in the Hawaiian Islands area at 4:18 p.m. (CDT), July 24, 1975.

Members of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame listen to speakers during the opening of the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. From the left are: Bob Crippen, Vance Brand, Ed Gibson, Jack Lousma, Charlie Duke, Al Worden, Walt Cunningham and Buzz Aldrin. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

S84-27027 (3-11 Feb 1984) --- Astronaut Robert L. Gibson, STS-41B pilot, reviews some teleprinter copy on the flight deck's starboard station during the eight-day STS-41B Space Shuttle mission. Four other astronauts share the Challenger with Gibson. They are astronauts Vance D. Brand, commander; and Ronald E. McNair, Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart, all mission specialists. The photograph was taken from the commander's station with a 35mm camera.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Soviet Cosmonaut tour of KSC. United States, Soviet Union, prime crews for Apollo Soyuz Test Project inspect spacecraft checkout facilities in Manned Spacecraft Operations Building ACE Station. From left are astronauts Donald K. Slayton, Vance D. Brand and Thomas P. Stafford; cosmonauts Valeriy Kubasov and Aleksey Leonov.

S84-27155 (11 Feb 1984) --- The first Space Shuttle landing in Florida was recorded just moments prior to touchdown on the long landing facility of the Kennedy Space Center. Patches of fog were sighted near the round, but they were not a factor in the landing. Along with Astronaut Vance D. Brand, crew commander at Challenger?s controls, also onboard were Astronaut Robert L. Gibson, pilot; and Bruce McCandless II, Robert L. Stewart and Ronald E. McNair, all mission specialists.

S84-27024 (7 Feb 1984) --- This 70mm frame centers on a foot restraint that strayed from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger during the February 9, 1984 extravehicular activity (EVA) session of astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert Stewart. As seen in JSC photograph frame number S84-27025, McCandless goes after the piece. Not pictured is Vance D. Brand, crew commander, who moved the spacecraft nearer the object.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – CNN correspondent John Zarella, left, moderates NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration of the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. The ceremony, held in the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida featured Apollo astronauts (at the dais) Buzz Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Vance Brand, Gerald Carr and Bruce McCandless. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is filled with guests gathered to hear about the Apollo 11 launch and landing in July 1969 from eight Apollo astronauts: Buzz Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Vance Brand, Gerald Carr and Bruce McCandless . The event is part of NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

From left to right, moderator and Washington Post design reporter Shelly Tan, creator of the NASA worm logotype Richard Danne, Pentagram designer Michael Bierut, NASA entertainment and branding liaison Bert Ulrich, and Amazon Music head of live event merchandise Julia Heiser, participate in a panel discussion during a Richard Danne dedication event, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is filled with guests gathered to hear about the Apollo 11 launch and landing in July 1969 from eight Apollo astronauts: . The event is part of NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration. Participating are CNN correspondent, who moderated, Buzz Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Vance Brand, Gerald Carr and Bruce McCandless. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S74-23117 (6 June 1974) --- Two astronauts associated with the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project receive instructions in the Russian language during ASTP activity at the Johnson Space Center. They are Robert F. Overmyer, a member of the support team of the American ASTP crew, who is seated at left; and Vance D. Brand (center), the command module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew. The instructor is Anatoli Forestanko.

Ecomaster, an affiliate of BioServe Space Technologies, this PentaPure technology has been used to purify water for our nation's Space Shuttle missions since 1981. WTC-Ecomaster of Mirneapolis, Minnesota manufactures water purification systems under the brand name PentaPure (TM). BioServe researcher Dr. George Marchin, of Kansas State University, first demonstrated the superiority of this technology and licensed it to WTC. Marchin continues to perform microgravity research in the development of new technologies for the benefit of life on Earth.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Vance Brand is introduced as a previous inductee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. He and other Hall of Fame members were present for the induction of five new space program heroes into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame: Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission; Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia’s Mir space station; the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission; Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space; and Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space mission and the current NASA deputy administrator. Brand was Command Module Pilot on the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first linkup in orbit between spaceships of the United States and Soviet Union, and he later commanded three Space Shuttle missions. The induction ceremony was held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs.

STS005-04-124 (14 Nov. 1982) --- Three members of the four-man STS-5 crew demonstrate the zero-gravity environment aboard the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. Astronaut Vance D. Brand, mission commander, holds a fairly typical Earth-bound pose, but crewmates, astronauts Robert F. Overmyer (center), pilot, and Dr. William B. Lenoir, mission specialist, perform body movements that could only be accomplished in zero-gravity. Dr. Joseph P. Allen IV, the flight’s other mission specialist, exposed this frame with a 35mm handheld camera. The four astronauts were in the middeck area of their reusable spacecraft when this photograph was made. Photo credit: NASA

S75-29715 (24 July 1975) --- A team of U.S. Navy swimmers assists with the recovery of the ASTP Apollo Command Module following its splashdown in the Central Pacific Ocean to conclude the historic joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The swimmers have already attached a flotation collar to the spacecraft. The CM touched down in the Hawaiian Islands area at 4:18 p.m. (CDT), July 24, 1975. The crewmen, astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton, remained in the CM until it was hoisted aboard the prime recovery ship, the USS New Orleans.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As seen from the Mobile Service Structure as it is being rolled back to its park site, the ASTP Saturn IB launch vehicle sits on its pedestal during the Countdown Demonstration Test. The test is a step-by-step dress rehearsal for the July 15 mission, which culminates with a simulated T-zero and launch with the stages of the rocket fueled as they will be on launch day. Following the simulated launch, the propellants will be offloaded. The terminal portion of the test will be repeated tomorrow with the ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton aboard the spacecraft.

S75-29717 (24 July 1975) --- The ASTP Apollo Command Module, with astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton still inside, awaits pickup by the prime recovery ship, the USS New Orleans, following splashdown in the Central Pacific Ocean to conclude the historic joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The CM touchdown occurred in the Hawaiian Islands area at 4:18 p.m. (CDT), July 24, 1975. A team of U.S. Navy swimmers assists with the recovery operations. A recovery helicopter hovers overhead.

S75-24114 (8-10 Feb. 1975) --- Two Walt Disney comic cartoon characters, Donald Duck and Pluto, were on hand to greet a group of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) crewmen on their arrival at Disney World near Orlando. From left, are interpreter K. S. Samofal, interpreter Nicholas Timacheff, cosmonaut Vladimir A. Shatalov, astronaut Vance D. Brand, astronaut Donald K. Slayton, cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (squeezing Pluto's nose) and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford. The astronauts and cosmonauts were in Florida for a three-day inspection tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center where they looked over ASTP launch facilities and flight hardware.

S75-28229 (8 July 1975) --- The three American ASTP prime crew astronauts participate in a photography mission briefing in Building 5 with Dr. Farouk El-Baz (wearing face mask) during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project preflight activity at NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are, left to right, Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot; Dr. El-Baz; and Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot. Dr. El-Baz is with the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. The face mask is to protect the crewmen from possible exposure to disease prior to launch time. Photo credit: NASA

S84-26935 (31 Jan 1984) --- Three members of the STS 41-B astronaut crew arrive in Florida following a brief T-38 flight from Houston. Leading the crew from the flight line is Astronaut Vance D. Brand (right), crew commander. Following behind (in blue flight suits) are Astronauts Ronald E. McNair (center) and Robert L. Stewart (both mission specialists. They were met by Terry White (pictured), JSC public information industrial relations manager. Not pictured are Astronauts Robert L. Gibson, pilot; and Bruce McCandless II, mission specialist. Launch is scheduled for February 3, 1983.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – During NASA's 40th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Center Director Bob Cabana (center) and Chief Operating Officer of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Bob Moore (left of Cabana) join Apollo astronauts on the stage. At far left is the program moderator John Zarella, with CNN. The astronauts are (from left) Al Worden, Edgar Mitchell, Walt Cunningham, Buzz Aldrin, (Moore, Cabana), Charlie Duke, Vance Brand, Gerald Carr and Bruce McCandless. The celebration honored the July 1969 launch and landing on the moon. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S84-26294 (3 Feb 1984) --- This scenic panorama of billowy clouds over the Atlantic and Florida and the contrasting addition of mankind's technology into the picture was provided by astronaut John W. Young and a handheld camera in the cockpit of NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) moments after the 226 tons of spacecraft hardware were lifted off Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Launch Pad 39A. Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger (STS 41-B), attached here to its two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and External Fuel Tank (ET), were astronauts Vance D. Brand, Robert L. Gibson, Ronald E. McNair, Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- U.S. astronauts Thomas Stafford (left), Vance Brand (center) and Donald Slayton pose in front of their Apollo Soyuz Test Project space vehicle during rollout ceremonies at KSC. The 224-foot-tall Saturn IB launch vehicle began its five-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Complex 39's Pad at 8 a.m. The ASTP launch is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. EDT on July 15. During the mission the U.S. Apollo spacecraft will rendezvous and dock with the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. It will be history's first international manned space flight.

S84-27028 (3 Feb 1984) --- Astronaut Ronald E. McNair, left, and Robert L. Stewart prepare to enter an eight-day Earth-orbital mission aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Photographed by Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, McNair had already moved his helmet. Launch was less than ten minutes earlier from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The three mission specialists were joined by Astronauts Vance D. Brand, commander; and Robert L. Gibson, pilot, for the flight. McCandless?s launch phase station is in the middeck.

S83-40555 (15 October 1983) --- These five astronauts are in training for the STS-41B mission, scheduled early next year. On the front row are Vance D. Brand, commander; and Robert L. Gibson, pilot. Mission specialists (back row, left to right) are Robert L. Stewart, Dr. Ronald E. McNair and Bruce McCandless II. Stewart and McCandless are wearing Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) space suits. The STS program's second extravehicular activity (EVA) is to be performed on this flight, largely as a rehearsal for a scheduled repair visit to the Solar Maximum Satellite (SMS), on a later mission. The Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) will make its space debut on STS-41B.

STS035-S-091 (10 Dec 1990) --- Donald R. Puddy (center), Director of Flight Crew Operations at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), joins the STS-35 crewmembers in a post-landing walk-around inspection of the Columbia at Edwards Air Force Base. Crewmembers pictured are, left to right, Vance D. Brand, John M. (Mike) Lounge, Ronald A. Parise, Guy S. Gardner and Jeffrey A. Hoffman. Obscured or out of frame are Samuel T. Durrance and Robert A. R. Parker. Dr. William B. Lenoir, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight, is at far left background.

AST-09-572 (17-18 July 1975) --- The Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft is photographed from the American Apollo spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit. Earth is visible in the lower left corner. This picture was taken with a 70mm camera. The Apollo crew consisted of astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; and Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew consisted of cosmonauts Aleksei A. Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Apollo Soyuz Test Project Saturn IB launch vehicle thundered away from KSC's Launch Complex 39B at 3:50 p.m. today. Aboard the Apollo Command Module were ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The astronauts will rendezvous and dock with a Soyuz spacecraft, launched this morning from the Baykonur launch facility in the Soviet Union, carrying Soviet cosmonauts Aleksey Leonov and Valeriy Kubasov. The ASTP launches mark the first time that manned spacecraft of two nations have met in space for joint engineering and scientific investigations.