About Jon
After being initiated into Phi Delta Theta in 1961 at West Virginia University and later graduating, Jon McBride began flight training in Pensacola in 1965, flew 64 combat missions in Southeast Asia and then became a test pilot of the F4 Phantom jet. In 1979, he was selected as a NASA astronaut and was lead chase pilot for the maiden voyage of Columbia. In 1984, Brother McBride was pilot of STS 41-G that launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard the Orbiter Challenger. In 1987, Jon was assigned to NASA Headquarters to serve as Assistant Administrator for Congressional Relations. He is currently a member of the Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Encounter team and is a planner and strategist for future growth of the Kennedy Space Center.