Francis Scobee
American astronaut
Also known as: Dick Scobee
Quick Summary
Challenger disaster: crew
Crew of the Challenger 51-L mission: (back row, left to right) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik; (front row, left to right) Michael Smith, Francis (Dick) Scobee, Ronald McNair, November 1985.
Francis (Dick) Scobee was an American astronaut who died in the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986. He was the commander of the STS-51L mission aboard the space shuttle Challenger. The mission tragically ended in an explosion 73 seconds after liftoff, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. Scobee's fellow crewmates included pilot Michael Smith, mission specialists Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, and payload specialist Christa McAuliffe, as well as payload specialist Gregory Jarvis.12
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