Michael J. Smith

Oficiální znak (patch) mise STS-51-L se jmény sedmičlenné posádky.

Pilot of STS-51-L, for whom it was his first and only spaceflight.

Born 30 April 1945 in Beaufort, North Carolina. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and flew A-6 Intruder attack aircraft off the carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War. He joined NASA in 1980; STS-51-L was his first spaceflight.

NationalityUSA

Born30 April 1945

Died28 January 1986

Spaceflights1

SPACEFLIGHTS

STS-51-L28 January 1986

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.open article →

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