Birthdate: April 30, 1945
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Beaufort
Died: January 28, 1986
Michael J. Smith was an accomplished American engineer and astronaut who served as the pilot of the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger during the STS-51-L mission. Unfortunately, the Challenger broke up 73 seconds into the flight, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members. Smith had a distinguished Naval career, flying numerous civilian and military aircraft and accumulating nearly 5,000 hours of flying time. Following his untimely death, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain and honored with a chair at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
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