William C. McCool
William Cameron McCool was a United States Navy , test pilot, engineer, and NASA astronaut. His only spaceflight was STS-107, the Columbia science mission that ended in tragedy.
- Born
- September 23, 1961
- Died
- February 1, 2003
- Birthplace
- San Diego, California,United States
Flights
1
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes
Bio
McCool graduated from the United States Naval Academy and completed graduate engineering work before becoming a naval aviator and test pilot. NASA selected him with Astronaut Group 16 in 1996.
He served as pilot of STS-107 in 2003. The mission carried a large science payload and operated as a dedicated research flight rather than an ISS assembly mission.
McCool and the six other crew members died when Columbia broke apart during on February 1, 2003. The accident reshaped shuttle inspection, repair, and risk-management practices.