 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2011) |
Michael J. Smith | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Smith in 1981 | |
| Born | Michael John Smith April 30, 1945 Beaufort, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 1986 (aged 40) North Atlantic Ocean |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Education | |
| Awards | |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, USN |
| Selection | NASA Group 9 (1980) |
| Missions | STS-51-L (disaster) |
Mission insignia |  |
Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986), (Capt USN) was an American engineer and astronaut. He served as the pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission, breaking up 73 seconds into the flight, and at an altitude of 48,000 feet (14.6 km),[1] killing all seven crew members. Smith's voice was the last one heard on the Challenger voice recorder.[2]
During his Naval career, Smith flew 28 different types of civilian and military aircraft and logged 4,867 hours of flying time. Following the Challenger disaster, he was promoted posthumously by Congress to the rank of captain, and has had a chair named in his honor at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California.
- ^ Kerwin, Joseph P. (1986). "Challenger crew cause and time of death". Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
- ^ Boffey, Philip M. (July 29, 1986). "Challenger Crew Knew of Problem, Data Now Suggest". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2014.