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

Michael J. Smith

Pilot of STS-51-L, for whom it was his first and only spaceflight.
Spaceflights
Portrait of STS-51-L pilot Michael J. Smith.
Born
30 Apr 1945
Died
28 Jan 1986
Spaceflights
1

Biography

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.

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. 1945Born30 April 1945
  2. 1986STS-51-L28 January 1986
  3. 1986Died28 January 1986

Crews

Flew together

Dick ScobeeCosmonaut / AstronautDick ScobeeSTS-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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