Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance Bryan O’Connor Leaving NASA

Bryan O’Connor, NASA’s chief of safety and mission assurance since 2002, has announced plans to retire from the agency on Aug. 31.

“Bryan is a fellow marine, trusted advisor and friend I have been privileged to serve with off and on since our years as plebes at the U.S. Naval Academy,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. “I am deeply grateful for his vigilance over the safety and well-being of NASA’s people and its work. His concern and commitment have encompassed not just the space shuttle and astronaut corps, but every mission, large or small, and every member of the NASA family. He’ll be sorely missed.”

O’Connor announced his plans to members of his staff in NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance on Tuesday. In his current role, he is responsible for the safety, reliability, maintainability and quality assurance of all NASA programs.

O’Connor held management positions in NASA’s space shuttle, International Space Station, and Shuttle-Mir programs, and played prominent safety management roles in the agency’s recovery from two space shuttle accidents, the loss of Challenger in 1986 and the loss of Columbia in 2003. Prior to that, he joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 1980 and flew two missions aboard the space shuttle.