Michael J. Smith

Michael J. Smith was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut who served as the pilot for the ill-fated STS-51-L mission. A distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a veteran of numerous combat missions during the Vietnam War, he was selected for astronaut training in 1980. His first and only spaceflight ended tragically when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986, claiming the lives of all seven crew members.

Early life and education

Michael John Smith was born on April 30, 1945, in Beaufort, North Carolina. He attended elementary and high school in his hometown, where he developed an early interest in aviation. He earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Science. Following his commissioning, he reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida for flight training, earning his Naval Aviator wings in 1969. He later pursued graduate studies, receiving a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California in 1978.

NASA career

Selected by NASA as part of NASA Astronaut Group 9 in 1980, Smith completed a rigorous training and evaluation period, qualifying for assignment as a Space Shuttle pilot. His initial technical assignments included supporting Space Shuttle launches and landings at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center and serving in the Astronaut Office operations development group. He also worked on the development of the Shuttle Training Aircraft, a modified Grumman Gulfstream II used to simulate Space Shuttle landing profiles. In December 1985, he was officially assigned as the pilot for the upcoming STS-51-L mission aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, which was scheduled to deploy the TDRS-B satellite and conduct the Teacher in Space Project.

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

On January 28, 1986, Smith was strapped into the pilot's seat of the Space Shuttle Challenger for his first spaceflight. The mission, commanded by Dick Scobee, launched from Launch Complex 39-B at Kennedy Space Center at 11:38 EST. Approximately 73 seconds after liftoff, a failure in a joint on the right Solid Rocket Booster, exacerbated by cold weather, led to a catastrophic structural breakup of the External Tank and the orbiter. The crew cabin was severed and fell into the Atlantic Ocean. Smith, along with fellow crew members Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Christa McAuliffe, and Gregory Jarvis, perished. The subsequent Rogers Commission Report extensively detailed the technical and organizational failures that led to the disaster.

Awards and honors

For his military and NASA service, Smith was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Ronald Reagan. He also received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. His name is inscribed on the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and on the Astronauts Memorial at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Several institutions bear his name, including the Michael J. Smith Building at the United States Naval Academy and Michael J. Smith Field, the airport serving his hometown of Beaufort, North Carolina.

Personal life

Smith was married to Jane Anne Jarrell, and the couple had three children. He was known as a dedicated family man and an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed sailing, skiing, and woodworking. Prior to his NASA career, he accumulated over 4,800 hours of flight time in 28 different types of military aircraft, flying combat missions from the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and the USS Saratoga (CV-60) during the Vietnam War. His personal papers and effects are held in archival collections at institutions including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Category:American astronauts Category:NASA astronauts Category:United States Naval Academy alumni Category:Recipients of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Category:Space Shuttle Challenger disaster