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Cosmonaut / Astronaut · National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Dick Scobee

Commander of STS-51-L, a U.S. Air Force test pilot and veteran of one previous shuttle flight.
Spaceflights
Portrait of mission commander Dick Scobee.
Born
19 May 1939
Died
28 Jan 1986
Spaceflights
1

Biography

Born 19 May 1939 in Cle Elum, Washington. He served as a U.S. Air Force pilot and later as a test pilot. He first flew to space in 1984 as pilot of STS-41-C, during which the crew repaired the Solar Maximum satellite in orbit. On Challenger's STS-51-L he commanded his second and final flight.

Missions

Spaceflights

Official STS-51-L mission patch with the names of the seven crew members.

28 January 1986

STS-51-L

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth mission of the Space Shuttle program. On 28 January 1986, 73 seconds after launch, the orbiter Challenger broke apart when a frost-embrittled O-ring in its right solid rocket booster failed — the entire seven-member crew died, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.

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Timeline

Career at a glance

  1. 1939Born19 May 1939
  2. 1986STS-51-L28 January 1986
  3. 1986Died28 January 1986

Crews

Flew together

Michael J. SmithCosmonaut / AstronautMichael J. SmithSTS-51-LEllison OnizukaCosmonaut / AstronautEllison OnizukaSTS-51-LJudith ResnikCosmonaut / AstronautJudith ResnikSTS-51-LRonald McNairCosmonaut / AstronautRonald McNairSTS-51-LChrista McAuliffeCosmonaut / AstronautChrista McAuliffeSTS-51-LGregory JarvisCosmonaut / AstronautGregory JarvisSTS-51-L
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