 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(January 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Michael J. Smith | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Smith in 1981 | |
| Born | Michael John Smith (1945-04-30)April 30, 1945 Beaufort, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 1986(1986-01-28) (aged 40) North Atlantic Ocean |
| Cause of death | Space ShuttleChallenger disaster |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Education | |
| Awards | |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain,USN |
| Selection | NASA Group 9 (1980) |
| Missions | STS-51-L |
Mission insignia |  |
Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986), (CaptUSN) was an Americanengineer andastronaut. He served as the pilot of theSpace ShuttleChallenger when itwas destroyed during theSTS-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 theChallenger 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 theChallenger disaster, he was promoted posthumously by Congress to the rank ofcaptain, and has had a chair named in his honor at theNaval Postgraduate School (NPS) inMonterey, California.
Smith was born April 30, 1945, inBeaufort, North Carolina. He graduated from Beaufort High School in 1963 and went on to receive aBachelor of Science degree in Naval Science from theUnited States Naval Academy in 1967.
Smith subsequently attended the U.S.Naval Postgraduate School atMonterey, California, from which he graduated with aMaster of Science degree inAeronautical Engineering in 1968. Smith was awarded aMarshall Scholarship and went on to complete naval aviation jet training atNaval Air Station Kingsville,Texas, receiving hisaviator wings in May 1969. Smith was then assigned to the Advanced Jet Training Command (VT-21) where he served as aninstructor from May 1969 to March 1971. During the two-year period that followed, Smith flewA-6 Intruders and completed a tour in 1972 during theVietnam War while assigned to Attack Squadron 52 (VA-52) aboard theaircraft carrierUSS Kitty Hawk. During his deployment with VA-52, Smith took part inOperation Linebacker, the first continuous bombing effort conducted against North Vietnam since 1968.
After returning from Vietnam, Smith attendedU.S. Naval Test Pilot School (NTPS), graduating from the program in 1974. Following NTPS, he was assigned to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate atNAS Patuxent River,Maryland, to work on the A-6E TRAM andCruise missile guidance systems. Smith returned to NTPS in 1976 and completed an 18-month assignment there as an instructor. From Patuxent River, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 75 (VA-75), serving as a maintenance and operations officer while completing two Mediterranean cruises aboard the aircraft carrierUSS Saratoga.
During his time in the Navy, Smith flew 28 different types of civilian and military aircraft, cumulating in 4,867.7 hours of flying time.[3]
Smith was selected for the astronaut program in May 1980; he served as a commander in theShuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), Deputy Chief of Aircraft Operations Division, Technical Assistant to the Director, Flight Operations Directorate, and was also assigned to the Astronaut Office Development and Test Group. In addition to being pilot on theChallenger, Smith had been slated to pilot a future Shuttle mission (STS-61-I) which had been scheduled for Fall 1986.[4] Smith's voice was the last one heard on the flight deck tape recorder aboardChallenger; his final remark was "Uh oh."[2]
Following theChallenger disaster, examination of the recovered vehicle cockpit revealed that three of the crew members'Personal Egress Air Packs were activated: those of Smith, mission specialistJudith Resnik, and mission specialistEllison Onizuka. The location of Smith's activation switch, on the back side of his seat, means that either Resnik or Onizuka must have activated it for him. Further investigation by Smith's wife suggested that it was Onizuka who activated her husband's switch because Resnik's seat location was too far to reach Smith.[5] This is the only evidence available from the disaster that shows Onizuka and Resnik were alive after the cockpit separated from the vehicle. However, if the cabin had lost pressure, the packs alone would not have sustained the crew during the two-minute descent.
While analyzing the wreckage, investigators discovered that several electrical system switches on Smith's right-hand panel had been moved from their usual launch positions. Fellow AstronautRichard Mullane wrote, "These switches were protected with lever locks that required them to be pulled outward against a spring force before they could be moved to a new position." Later tests established that neither the force of the explosion, nor the impact with the ocean could have moved them indicating that Smith made the switch changes, presumably in an attempt to restore electrical power to the cockpit after the crew cabin detached from the rest of the orbiter.[6]
Smith is survived by his wife, Jane (née Jarrell), and three children: Scott, Allison, and Erin.[5] He enjoyed woodworking, running, tennis, and squash.[7]
Smith was posthumously awarded theCongressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004, along with all crew members lost in theChallenger andColumbia accidents.[8] He also received theDefense Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous), the NavyDistinguished Flying Cross, threeAir Medals, 13Strike/Flight Air Medals, theNavy Commendation Medal with"V" Device, theNavy Unit Citation, and theVietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.
TheMichael J. Smith Field airfield in his hometown ofBeaufort, North Carolina is named after Smith.
Smith was portrayed byBrian Kerwin in the 1990 TV movieChallenger.
 | Main articles |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | |||
| Related |
| ||
NASA Astronaut Group 8 ← NASA Astronaut Group 9 →NASA Astronaut Group 10 | |||||||
| Pilots | |||||||
| Mission specialists | |||||||
| International mission specialists |
| ||||||
| |||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
