Daniel Bursch is a retired NASA astronaut and a former U.S. Navy officer. He was born on January 25, 1961, in Plattsburgh, New York. Bursch flew on four spaceflights, including missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle program, contributing to various scientific research and technology development. During his career, Bursch logged over 1,200 hours in space. He is known for his work on the Russian Mir space station and for serving as a commander on the ISS. After retiring from NASA, he continued to contribute to aerospace and education initiatives.