Michael John Smith
Michael John Smith was an American naval aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut assigned as pilot of STS-51-L. His career followed the classic shuttle pilot path: military aviation, flight testing, advanced engineering education, and then spacecraft operations inside NASA's astronaut corps.
- Born
- April 30, 1945
- Died
- January 28, 1986
- Birthplace
- Beaufort, North Carolina,United States
Flights
1
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
1 minute, 13 seconds
Bio
Smith was born in Beaufort, North Carolina, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1967. He earned a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Postgraduate School in 1968, completed Navy flight training, and later graduated from the United States Naval Test Pilot School.
Before NASA, Smith flew A-6 Intruders during combat operations in Vietnam and later worked in flight testing and test-pilot instruction. His Navy career included maintenance, operations, and test assignments, and he logged thousands of hours in many military and civilian aircraft types before astronaut selection.
NASA selected Smith with Astronaut Group 9 in 1980. He worked in shuttle avionics and flight operations roles before being assigned as pilot of STS-51-L. Challenger broke apart shortly after launch on January 28, 1986, killing Smith and the six other crew members.
Smith is remembered as a Navy test pilot and astronaut whose only assigned spaceflight ended in the Challenger accident. His service and technical background still place him firmly within the shuttle program's operational pilot tradition, and he was posthumously promoted to captain.