Jeffrey Ashby
Jeffrey Shears Ashby (born June 16, 1954) is an American mechanical engineer, former naval officer and aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut who flew three Space Shuttle missions. He is a retired U.S. Navy captain and currently works for Blue Origin as chief of mission assurance.
Ashby was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Evergreen, Colorado. He finished Evergreen High School in 1972, then earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho in 1976 through the Navy ROTC program. He later earned a Master of Science in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee in 1993. He is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the Naval Test Pilot School.
As a Navy pilot, Ashby helped develop the F/A-18 and flew combat missions in the Gulf War and other operations. He commanded a fighter squadron aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and was part of the Navy’s top F/A-18 squadron in 1994. During Desert Storm, he deployed a TV-guided bomb and helped destroy a camouflaged helicopter that could have attacked the carrier group. He accumulated more than 7,000 flight hours and about 1,000 carrier landings.
Ashby was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1994. He flew three Space Shuttle missions: STS-93 (1999), STS-100 (2001), and STS-112 (2002). His missions supported the deployment of the Chandra X-ray Observatory and construction work for the International Space Station, totaling about 27 days in space and 436 orbits.
He retired from NASA in June 2008 with the rank of Captain. After NASA, he joined Blue Origin as Chief of Mission Assurance, where he helps ensure the safety of human spaceflight. He lives in Twin Lakes, Colorado.
In July 2019, Ashby survived a severe fall near the summit of La Plata Peak and was rescued after the incident.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:25 (CET).