Brian Shiro

My lifelong goal is to live and work in space as an astronaut. I passed through the first few stages of NASA selections in 2008 and 2012, making it to the "Highly Qualified" round (top 3-13%) before being cut. In the process I met lots of great people who share this passion, and it has changed my life. In 2009 and 2010, I took part in the FMARS and MDRS simulated Mars missions and recently co-founded an exciting new organization to develop the commercial astronaut workforce called "Astronaut4Hire".

At my heart I am an explorer, always thirsting for adventure in far-off corners of the world. My expeditions have taken me near the North and South Poles in the Arctic and Antarctic, throughout equatorial Pacific islands, and to many places in between. I was even part of a small team to first discover and report a major volcanic eruption just days after I had been the last person on the small volcanic island. Space is the next frontier I plan to explore.

My main hobby is running. I have 6 marathons under my belt, including the highly competitive Boston Marathon, and over 70 shorter races. I'm also a recreational cyclist and have been known to partake in the occasional triathlon. I'm a trained climber and mountaineer with glacier-trekking and minor mountain-climbing experience in both Alaska and Antarctica. I'm also a Private Pilot and hold several SCUBA dive certifications. When I can, I also like to go hiking, backpacking, river kayaking, and snow skiing.

I try my best to live sustainably and help others to do the same. I believe we can all do more to reduce our footprints on the Earth and leave it in better condition for our descendants. A native of Arkansas who transplanted to the Midwest, I now live in Hawaii with my wife and two young childfren. If you have questions about earth science, space exploration, sustainable living, natural parenting or anything else, let me know.