Miles O'Brien (born June 9, 1959) is an independent American broadcast news journalist specializing in science, technology, and

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

who has been serving as national science correspondent for ''

PBS NewsHour ''PBS News Hour'', previously stylized as ''PBS NewsHour'', is the news division of PBS and an American daily evening news broadcasting#television, television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS Network affiliate#Member stations, member stat ...

'' since 2010.

Early life

Born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

and raised in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, O'Brien attended

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

. In 1982, he was offered and accepted his first broadcasting position with

WRC-TV WRC-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Washington, D.C., serving as the market's NBC outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Class A television service, Class A Telemundo outlet W ...

in Washington, DC. He was later a reporter and anchor at TV stations in Boston, Massachusetts; Tampa, Florida; Albany, New York and St. Joseph, Missouri. O'Brien joined

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

in 1992. He is a third-generation

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

pilot. His father, a private pilot, shared his love of flying with him at an early age. His initial flights were in small

Cessna Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufactu ...

s and Pipers rented by his dad. O'Brien's paternal and maternal grandfathers were also both pilots.

CNN correspondent and anchor

While with CNN in Atlanta and New York, O'Brien served as CNN's science, space, aviation technology, and environment correspondent. He anchored programs including ''Science and Technology Week,'' ''

Headline News HLN is an American basic cable network. Owned by CNN Worldwide, the network primarily carries true-crime programming, recently drifting away from limited live news programming. The channel was originally launched on January 1, 1982, by Tur ...

,'' ''Primetime,'' ''Live From…(CNN),'' and CNN '' American Morning.'' O'Brien covered all aspects of the United States space program for CNN including reports on the

Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...

, the shuttle dockings at Mir, the first space station launch from

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

, landings on Mars, the winning of the Ansari X-Prize, and the

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster On Saturday, February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disintegrated as it Atmospheric entry, re-entered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was the second List of Spa ...

and its crew, a story he told to the world in a 16-hour marathon of live coverage. After years of negotiations,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

had signed an agreement with CNN that, if not for the disaster, would have made O'Brien the first journalist to fly on a space shuttle. O'Brien followed the investigation and successful return to flight. In 2000, O'Brien produced, shot, and wrote a one-hour documentary on the process of readying a space shuttle for flight: "Terminal Count: What it Takes to Make the Space Shuttle Fly," which aired in May 2001. A private pilot since 1988, O'Brien also reported extensively on civil aviation issues and crash investigations. O'Brien reported the airliner crashes of US Airways Flight 427, ValuJet 592, TWA 800, EgyptAir 990, American Airlines 587, Comair 5191,

John F. Kennedy Jr. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John-John or JFK Jr., was an American socialite, attorney, magazine publisher, and journalist. He was a son of 35th United States president John F. K ...

Payne Stewart William Payne Stewart (January 30, 1957 – October 25, 1999) was an American professional golfer who won 11 PGA Tour events, including three major championships, the last of which came just a few months before his death in an airplane acciden ...

Paul Wellstone Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American academic, author, and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002. A m ...

, the C-150 incursion into the Washington DC Air Defense Identification Zone, and the

Cory Lidle Cory Fulton Lidle (March 22, 1972 – October 11, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, Lidle played in Major League Baseball with the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Ja ...

crash in Manhattan. In the wake of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, O'Brien provided viewers with radar tracks of the hijacked flights while the twin towers were still standing. During the

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

invasions, he, along with various retired generals, reported on military aviation techniques and strategy. His coverage of non-aerospace topics included anchoring '' The Situation Room,'' covering the

2008 Mumbai attacks The 2008 Mumbai attacks, also referred to as 26/11 attacks, were a series of coordinated Islamic terrorism, Islamist terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist o ...

on the Oberoi Trident and

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

hotels, as well as several other locations. He also covered

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

for several weeks, anchoring CNN's Peabody and Dupont Award-winning coverage. In June 2005, O'Brien became one of the co-hosts of the CNN three-hour daily morning program '' American Morning''. In April 2007, the network cited disappointing ratings in its decicion to replace O'Brien and his co-host,

Soledad O'Brien María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien (born September 19, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist and executive producer. Since 2016, O'Brien has been the host for '' Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien,'' a nationally syndicated weekly talk sho ...

(no relation), with a new team, but said he would remain with CNN as its chief technology and environment correspondent. O'Brien left CNN in December 2008. He was rehired by CNN as an aviation analyst in March 2014.

Independent correspondent/journalist

After leaving CNN, O'Brien formed Miles O’Brien Productions, LLC in Washington, DC. Through this independent company, O'Brien creates stories for numerous outlets including

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

, Discovery Science (TV channel),

National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...

, Spaceflightnow.com, and corporate clients. One of his most notable series productions for PBS was "Blueprint America" that dealt with rebuilding American mass transit infrastructure. O'Brien joined '' True/Slant'' as a blogger in 2009. He co-founded the Spaceflight Now podcast, "This Week in Space" in 2009, and hosted shows until the retirement of the shuttle in 2011. Starting in 2009, O'Brien joined the

as a correspondent for the “Science Nation” series, and joined the PBS '' Frontline'' produced by

WGBH-TV WGBH-TV (channel 2), branded GBH or GBH 2 since 2020, is the primary PBS List of PBS member stations, member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Affiliated stations and facilities WGBH-TV is the Flagship (broadcasting), ...

Boston, as a writer and correspondent. He worked on the ''Frontline'' documentary, "Flying Cheap" which aired on the one-year anniversary of the Colgan Air plane crash in Buffalo, NY. The highly acclaimed documentary featured former

Colgan Air Colgan Air was a regional airline in the United States that operated from 1965 until 2012, when it became a subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. The initial headquarters of Colgan Air was in Manassas, Virginia, Manassas, Virginia until 2010, and ...

pilots revealing shocking details about some attempts to keep underpaid pilots flying beyond legal limits. In 2010, O'Brien became a ''

'' science correspondent. In 2013, O'Brien produced and directed "Mind of a Rampage Killer" and "Manhunt: Boston Bombers" and “Megastorm Aftermath” for PBS' ''

Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...

.'' In 2014, he produced and narrated "Why Planes Vanish" for ''Nova'', adapted from "Where is Flight MH370?" from the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

science program ''Horizon''. He also narrated a recent view after the Fukushima disaster on a new episode of ''Nova''.

Career timeline

*1981–82:

assignment editor/production assistant in Washington, DC *1983: KQTV anchor/reporter/producer/photographer/editor in St. Joseph, MO *1983–84:

WNYT (TV) WNYT (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Albany, New York, United States, serving the Capital District, New York, Capital District as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting alongside Pittsfield, Massachusetts–li ...

anchor/reporter/producer in Albany, NY *1984–86:

WTSP WTSP (channel 10) is a television station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay area as an affiliate of CBS. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on Gandy Boulevard on St. Petersburg's ...

-TV special segment reporter/producer in Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL *1986–91:

WHDH (TV) WHDH (channel 7) is an independent television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by Sunbeam Television alongside Cambridge-licensed CW affiliate WLVI (channel 56). WHDH and WLVI share studios at Bulfinch Place (n ...

general assignment reporter/anchor in Boston, MA *1991–92: ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles both in Electronic publishing, electronic format and a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 ...

'' freelance producer/reporter/anchor in Boston, MA *1992–2008:

space/aviation correspondent; "Science and Technology Week" anchor; "Science and Technology" correspondent/anchor; "CNN Live From" anchor, "CNN Saturday/Sunday Morning" anchor; "CNN Headline News Prime" anchor; "CNN American Morning" anchor in Atlanta, GA and New York, NY *2008–present: owner Miles O'Brien Productions, LLC in Washington, DC serving as correspondent/writer for

Discovery Science Discovery science (also known as discovery-based science) is a scientific methodology which aims to find new patterns, correlations, and form hypotheses through the analysis of large-scale experimental data. The term “discovery science” enc ...

"Innovation Nation" series;

WNET WNET (channel 13), branded on-air as Thirteen (stylized as THIRTEEN), is a primary PBS member television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area. Owned by The WNET Group (formerly known as the Educ ...

"Blueprint America" series; and video productions/moderation of events for clients including

McAfee McAfee Corp. ( ), formerly known as McAfee Associates, Inc. from 1987 to 1997 and 2004 to 2014, Network Associates Inc. from 1997 to 2004, and Intel Security Group from 2014 to 2017, is an American proprietary software company focused on online ...

, SAP, X-Prize Foundation, Medco, Astrogenetix, and the Rocket Racing League *2009–11: co-founder/host Spaceflight Now shuttle webcasts from Florida *2009–11: chairman Education and Public Outreach Committee of

Advisory Council in Washington, DC *2009–present:

'' Frontline'' writer/correspondent for "Flying Cheap," "Flying Cheaper," "Nuclear Aftershocks," and "Dollars and Dentists" in Boston, MA *2009–present:

correspondent for “Science Nation” series in Washington, DC *2010–present: ''

'' science correspondent/producer in Washington, DC *2013–present:

'' producer/director "Mind of a Rampage Killer," "Manhunt: Boston Bombers," and "Megastorm Aftermath" in Boston, MA *2014–present:

''aviation analyst

Personal life

O'Brien resides in

Chevy Chase, Maryland Chevy Chase () is the colloquial name of an area that includes a town, several incorporated villages, and an unincorporated census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland; and one adjoining neighborhood in northwest Washington, D ...

. He has a son, Miles, and a daughter, Connery. An instrument-rated pilot with about 2,000 hours of pilot-in-command time, O'Brien owns a

Cirrus SR22 The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine four- or five-seat composite aircraft built since 2001 by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It is a development of the Cirrus SR20, with a larger wing, higher fuel capacity and more powerfu ...

, which he often flies on assignments. His other interests include running,

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

and road biking, swimming, waterskiing,

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

, sailing and

carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. C ...

. In February 2014, O'Brien was injured when a Pelican case filled with television equipment fell on his left forearm, causing acute

compartment syndrome Compartment syndrome is a serious medical condition in which increased pressure within a Fascial compartment, body compartment compromises blood flow and tissue function, potentially leading to permanent damage if not promptly treated. There are ...

and resulting in the amputation of his left arm above the elbow.

Affiliations

O'Brien is on the boards of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, LessCancer.org, and the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation. From 2009 to 2011, O'Brien served as chairman of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC)'s Education and Outreach Committee and advised the NASA Administrator on mass communication strategies. He rejoined the NAC in April 2014 to advise NASA's senior leadership on challenges and solutions facing the agency as it unfolds a new era of exploration. He is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (since 1988), the

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording ...

(since 1982), the Experimental Aircraft Association (since 2007), and the Writers' Guild of America (since 2011). In 2014, O'Brien joined the Board of the Amputee Coalition.

Awards

*1986 – Florida Emmy Award Outstanding Coverage of a Single Breaking News Story (Reporter)- St. Petersburg Chlorine Leak *1989 – Boston/New England Emmy Award Outstanding News Series (Producer/Reporter)- "Boundaries of Fear" *1990 – CINE “Golden Eagle” (Producer/Reporter)- "Boundaries of Fear" *1993 – Columbus Film Festival Bronze Plaque – “Swords to Plowshares: The Price of Peace” *1993 – Computer Press Awards Best Television Program (Anchor/Correspondent/Writer)- "CNN Science and Technology Week" *1993 – National Association of Science Writers Science in Society Award (Anchor/Correspondent/Writer)- "Sweet Fruit – Bitter Harvest" *1993 – Overseas Press Club Award – “Swords to Plowshares: The Price of Peace” *1996 – National News and Documentary Emmy Award Outstanding Coverage of a Single Breaking News Story (Anchor)- coverage of the Olympic Park Bombing *2002 – Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Space Communicator Award *2002 – National Headliner Award for investigative coverage – "Sept. 11 attacks" *2006 – Society of Environmental Journalists Award for Reporting on the Environment (Anchor/Correspondent/Writer)- "CNN Presents: Melting Point" *2006 – National Press Club Robert L Kozik Award for Environmental Reporting – First Place (Anchor/Correspondent/Writer)- "CNN Presents: Melting Point" *2006 – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Max Karant Award for Excellence in Aviation Journalism (Correspondent)- "Small Planes" *2006 – George Foster Peabody Award – coverage of Hurricane Katrina *2006 – Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (Anchor/Correspondent)- CNN Coverage of Hurricane Katrina *2014 - PBS 10th annual "Be More Award" -A veteran journalist with more than thirty-two years in the industry, O’Brien has focused on making science and technology accessible, understandable and interesting for everyone. *2014 - National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Award for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming for PBS NOVA "Manhunt - Boston Bombers" *2015 - Honorary Member,

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is an international non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a faculty member and graduate students in 1886 and is one of the oldest ...

References

External links

*
Miles O'Brien returns to broadcast journalism Anchoring Blueprint America documentary
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Miles 1959 births Living people American amputees American aviators American broadcast news analysts Television anchors from Boston Georgetown University alumni Television personalities from Detroit People from Grosse Pointe, Michigan American investigative journalists Journalists from Michigan CNN people Aviation analysts PBS people