May 19, 1939 – January 28, 1986
Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger on its ill-fated final mission, Francis Richard “Dick” Scobee was an Air Force pilot and astronaut. A combat pilot during the Vietnam war, Scobee became a test pilot and was eventually selected to be a part of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. He piloted Challenger on a successful mission – his only other – two years prior to the disaster. On January 28th, 1986, after a number of weather-related delays and under high pressure to get the shuttle into space to inaugurate the Teacher In Space program, Challenger finally lifted off. Continue reading
