Vanessa O'Brien

{{Infobox person

| name = Vanessa O'Brien

| image = Vanessa_O’Brien.jpg

| image_caption = Vanessa O'Brien in 2015

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| nationality = British and American

| alma_mater = New York University Stern School of Business

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| website = {{URL|www.vobonline.com}}

{{Infobox astronaut

| embed=yes

| type = Blue Origin Sub-orbital spaceflight Participant

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| flight_time = 10 minutes, 20 seconds

| missions = Blue Origin NS-22

| insignia = 100px

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Vanessa Audi Rhys O'Brien is a British and American mountaineer, sub-orbital spaceflight participant,{{cite web |title=FAA Commercial Human Space Flight Recognition - O'Brien, Vanessa |url=https://www.faa.gov/space/human_spaceflight/recognition |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=Federal Aviation Administration |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation}}{{cite web |title=United States Code - Title 51 National And Commercial Space Programs - Subtitle V—Programs Targeting Commercial Opportunities - CHAPTER 509—COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVITIES - Sec. 50902. Definitions - (20) "space flight participant" - |url=https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title51-section50902&num=0&edition=prelim |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=Office of the Law Revision Counsel - United States Code |publisher=U.S. House of Representatives}} explorer, and former business executive.{{cite web |last1=Tyler |first1=Steven |title=From Turning Point to Highest Point |url=https://www.nyu.edu/alumni/news-publications/nyu-connect-newsletter/november-2021/vanessa-o-brien.html |access-date=1 November 2021 |website=New York University}} On 12 June 2020, O'Brien became the first woman to reach Earth's highest and lowest points.{{cite web |last1=Mukhtar |first1=Amel |title=Forces for Change - 6 Forces For Change That Made Waves In June |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/gallery/forces-for-change-june |access-date=30 June 2020 |website=British Vogue|date=30 June 2020 }} She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and an Honorary Advisory Member of The Scientific Exploration Society (SES).{{cite web |last1=Stancer |first1=Rosie |title=Our Advisory Board - Vanessa O'Brien FRGS |url=https://ses-explore.org/advisory-board/ |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=Scientific Exploration Society|date=26 March 2024 }}

Early life

O'Brien received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Executive MBA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. Vanessa O'Brien was named one of the Top 10 most famous NYU Stern MBA's in 2021.{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Shannon |title=NYU Notable Alumni 10 Famous MBAs From NYU Stern |url=https://www.businessbecause.com/news/mba-degree/7690/nyu-notable-alumni |website=Business Because |date=8 July 2021 |access-date=8 July 2021}} O'Brien worked as a Director of Finance and Business Development for Morgan Stanley, Barclays Bank, and the Bank of America.{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2013/04/02/vanessa-brien-preparing-for-north-pole-trek-hopes-break-explorers-grand-slam-record/IGhFuJ9V5AWTtg6Rr1C3TM/story.html |title=Boston woman tackles peaks at a record pace |work=Boston Globe |date=April 2013 |access-date=22 June 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042453/https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2013/04/02/vanessa-brien-preparing-for-north-pole-trek-hopes-break-explorers-grand-slam-record/IGhFuJ9V5AWTtg6Rr1C3TM/story.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.clubcorp.com/Blog/Boston-College-Club-Member-Vanessa-O-Brien-to-become-first-woman-to-complete-the-Explorers-Grand-Slam |title=Boston College Club Woman Vanessa O'Brien to Become the First Woman to Complete the Explorer's Grand Slam |publisher=clubcorp.com |date=January 2013 |access-date=20 May 2013 |archive-date=25 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825101754/http://www.clubcorp.com/Blog/Boston-College-Club-Member-Vanessa-O-Brien-to-become-first-woman-to-complete-the-Explorers-Grand-Slam |url-status=dead }}

Expeditions

O'Brien reached the summits of a number of notable mountains, including five of the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks (Shishapangma, Everest, Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and K2), including summiting two eight thousanders back-to-back 8 days apart (Shishapangma and Cho Oyu). O'Brien decided to build on her passion for mountaineering and set herself the challenge of achieving the Explorers Grand Slam. The Explorers Grand Slam entails reaching the Seven Summits, the North and South Poles, as well as meeting the Three Pole Challenge.{{cite web |url=http://1033ampradio.cbslocal.com/2013/05/10/lorens-badass-chick-of-the-week-vanessa-obrien/ |title=Loren's Badass Chick of the Week: Vanessa O'Brien |publisher=1033ampradio.cbslocal.com |date=May 2013 |access-date=20 May 2013 |archive-date=4 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204193426/http://1033ampradio.cbslocal.com/2013/05/10/lorens-badass-chick-of-the-week-vanessa-obrien/ |url-status=dead }}

O'Brien joined Caladan Oceanic's Ring of Fire expedition to the Pacific Ocean to survey the bottom of the three pools that constitute Challenger Deep in partnership with NOAA.{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Monica |title=NOAA teams with pioneering explorer to understand and map the deepest parts of the ocean |url=https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-teams-with-pioneering-explorer-to-understand-and-map-deepest-parts-of-ocean |website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce |date=7 April 2020 |access-date=7 April 2020}} On 12 June 2020, Victor Vescovo and O'Brien descended to the "Eastern Pool" of Challenger Deep spending three hours mapping the bottom, with the dive scanning approximately one mile of desolate bottom terrain, finding that the surface is not flat, as once was thought, but sloping, and by about {{cvt|18|ft}}, subject to verification.{{cite web |last1=Whitelocks |first1=Sadie |title=Explorer becomes the first woman to reach the highest and lowest points on the planet |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/16/female-explorer-becomes-first-reach-highest-lowest-points-planet-reveals-what-was-like-journeying-4-hours-ocean-floor-12857647/ |website=Metro UK |date=16 June 2020 |access-date=16 June 2020}}

O'Brien flew aboard Blue Origin NS-22, receiving FAA human spaceflight recognition, on 4 August 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=Blue Origin launches sixth New Shepard crewed suborbital flight |url=https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-launches-sixth-new-shepard-crewed-suborbital-flight/ |access-date=2022-08-04 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}} For the sixth time in its 20-year history, Blue Origin successfully launched humans on a sub-orbital spaceflight on the New Shepard 22 mission. The five humans that flew with O'Brien included Coby Cotton, Mário Ferreira, Clint Kelly III, Sara Sabry, and Steve Young, flying to a height of 107 km above Mean Sea Level (351,232 ft MSL). The crew endured 3,603 km/h (2,239 mph) during ascent and flew for a total of 10 minutes and 20 seconds.{{cite web |last1=Desisto |first1=Austin |title=NS-22 New Shepard |url=https://everydayastronaut.com/ns-22-new-shepard-2/ |website=Everyday Astronaut |date=6 August 2022 |access-date=6 August 2022}} This was the first spaceflight of Blue Origin involving two female crew members, and Vanessa O'Brien carried the UN Women's flag. She became the first woman to complete the Explorers' Extreme Trifecta – reaching extremes on land, sea, and air after she passed the Kármán line as part of Blue Origin NS-22 spaceflight.{{cite news |last1=Mitib |first1=Ali |title=British-American adventurer makes triple triumph of space, land and sea records |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/british-american-adventurer-makes-triple-triumph-of-space-land-and-sea-records-tb035dnr7 |website=The Times |access-date=6 August 2022}}

After taking the American Red Cross flag to the North Pole in 2013, O'Brien completed the Boston Marathon in 2017 to help the American Red Cross raise over $512,000 for charity.{{cite web |url=http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/woman-does-explorers-grand-slam-in-record-time/ |title=Woman Completes Explorer's Grand Slam in Record Time |publisher=grindtv.com |date=May 2013 |access-date=20 May 2013 |archive-date=27 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827080810/http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/woman-does-explorers-grand-slam-in-record-time/ |url-status=dead }}

World records

O'Brien set a Guinness World Record for summitting the highest peak on every continent in 295 days, the fastest time by a woman.{{cite web |last1=Liptáková |first1=Jana |title=Michigan-born explorer Vanessa O'Brien credits Slovak grandparents for shaping her journey |url=https://spectator.sme.sk/culture-and-lifestyle/c/vanessa-obrien-dont-let-others-define-who-are-you |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=The Slovak Spectator |publisher=The Rock, s.r.o.}} She also skied the last 60 nautical miles or 111 km to the South Pole and North Pole completing the Explorers Grand Slam in 11 months, becoming the first woman to do so in under a calendar year and the 8th woman in the world to accomplish this.{{cite web |url=http://blog.thomsonsafaris.com/kilimanjaro/vanessa-obrien-seven-summits-grand-slam |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630105829/http://blog.thomsonsafaris.com/kilimanjaro/vanessa-obrien-seven-summits-grand-slam |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 June 2013 |title=Seven Summits Climber Continues to the Ends of the Earth to Reach Goal |publisher=tomsonsafaris.com |date=March 2013 }} In July 2017, she became the first American woman to climb K2 and the first British{{cite web |title=Hero mountain climber visits British High Commission |url=http://www.dnanews.com.pk/hero-mountain-climber-visits-british-high-commission/ |website=Diplomatic News Agency (DNA) News |date=15 August 2017 |access-date=15 August 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Starkey |first1=Jerome |title=Mountaineers' first woman leader at the summit after bitter struggle |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/mountaineers-first-woman-leader-summits-after-struggle-dkg0c9s7z |website=The Times |access-date=18 June 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Clash |first1=James |title=New peaks to climb |url=https://www.forbes.com/global/2000/0110/0301054a.html#2fe6b1083b26 |work=Forbes |access-date=10 January 2010}} woman to climb K2 and return safely, successfully leading a team of 12 members to the summit and back on her third attempt.{{cite web|last1=Pokhrel |first1=Rajan|title=Vanessa O'Brien, John Snorri set record as 12 scale Mt K2|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/vanessa-obrien-john-snorri-set-record-as-12-scale-mt-k2/|website=The Himalayan Times|date=28 July 2017 |access-date=28 July 2017}}{{cite web|title=Vanessa O'Brien becomes the first British-American woman to summit K2|url=http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/399272-Vanessa-OBrien-becomes-the-first-BritishAmerican|website=Dunya News|date=14 February 2008 |access-date=31 July 2017}} Vanessa also received a record as the female with the highest age for summiting the savage mountain, K2, at 52 years old.{{cite web |last1=Spezia |first1=Mark |title=Vanessa Obrien First American Woman K2 |url=https://eu.freep.com/story/sports/2017/11/09/vanessa-obrien-first-american-woman-k-2/768782001/ |website=Detroit Free Press |access-date=9 November 2017}}