| Aircraft
Accidents Theodore Freeman Charles Bassett II Elliot See Clifton Williams, Jr. Robert Lawrence Michael Adams Yuri Gagarin John McKay Stephen Thorne Stanley David Griggs Manley Carter, Jr. Patricia Hilliard Robertson
Apollo 1
Soyuz 11
Challenger STS-51L
Columbia
STS-107 Other |
Born: 30 April 1945, in Beaufort, North Carolina. Education: Received a bachelor of science degree in naval science from the United States Naval Academy in 1967, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1968. Marital Status: Married the former Jane Jarrell. Children: Scott (12 January 1969), Alison (21 June 1971), and Erin (2 August 1977). Other Activities: He enjoyed woodworking, running, tennis, and squash. Awards: Smith and his six crewmates were awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on 23 July 2004. Special Honors: Awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous), the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, 13 Strike Flight Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with "V", the Navy Unit Citation, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star. Experience: Mike Smith completed Navy aviation jet training at Kingsville, Texas, receiving his aviator wings in May 1969. He was then assigned to the Advanced Jet Training Command (VT-21) where he served as an instructor from May 1969 to March 1971. During the two-year period that followed, he flew A-6 Intruders and completed a Vietnam cruise while assigned to Attack Squadron 52 aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). In 1974, he completed U.S. Navy Test Pilot School and was assigned to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate at Patuxent River, Maryland, to work on the A-6E TRAM and CRUISE missile guidance systems. He returned to the U.S. Navy Pilot School in 1976, and completed an 18-month tour as an instructor. From Patuxent River, he served as maintenance and operations officer while completing two Mediterranean deployments aboard the USS Saratoga. He logged 4,867.7 hours of flying time in 28 different types of civilian and military aircraft. NASA Experience: Smith was selected as an astronaut candidate in May 1980, and completed a one-year training and evaluation period in August 1981, qualifying him for future assignments as a pilot on future Space Shuttle missions. He served as a commander in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory, Deputy Chief of Aircraft Operations Division, Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Operations Directorate, and was also assigned to the Astronaut Office Development and Test Group. His only mission was as pilot of Challenger STS-51L. This mission included the first citizen, Teacher In Space Christa McAuliffe. It was to have deployed a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, and a retrievable spacecraft, SPARTAN, to study Comet Halley. Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven on board. Mike was also assigned to pilot STS-61N in the fall of 1986. Quote: "I can never remember anything I wanted to do but fly." |
