Daniel Wheeler Bursch (born July 25, 1957[2]) is a former NASA astronaut, and Captain of the United States Navy.

His fourth and final spaceflight was a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station as a crew member of Expedition 4, which lasted from December 2001 to June 2002.

In January 2003, Bursch reported to the Naval Postgraduate School for a two-year assignment as an instructor in the Space Systems Academic Group.

Bursch joined The Aerospace Corporation in July 2005 and is currently serving as the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Chair at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Real-time crew observations of environmental conditions, along with over 14,000 photographs aided the science team in interpreting the SRL data.

The SRL-2 mission was a highly successful test of technology intended for long-term environmental and geological monitoring of planet Earth.

Following 183 orbits of the Earth, the eleven-day mission ended with Space Shuttle Endeavour landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 11, 1994.

It consisted of 12 separate materials processing, fluid physics and biotechnology experiments, with an emphasis on commercial space product development.

STS-77 completed a record four rendezvous in support of two satellites sponsored by the Goddard Space Flight Center, and the SPARTAN 207/Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE) and the Passive Aerodynamically stabilized Magnetically damped Satellite/Satellite Test Unit (PAMS/STU).

Wearing the Russian Orlan spacesuit, Bursch logged 11 hours and 48 minutes of EVA time in two separate spacewalks.

The Expedition-Four crew returned to Earth aboard STS-111, with Endeavour landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on June 19, 2002.