Group 8 (1978)
Dick Scobee
Commander of Challenger’s final flight.
Dick Scobee enlisted in the Air Force as a mechanic and worked his way to test pilot, flying the X-24B lifting body among dozens of aircraft. He piloted Challenger on STS-41-C, the mission that repaired the Solar Max satellite in orbit.
Scobee commanded STS-51-L, and was lost with his crew when Challenger broke apart on January 28, 1986. The Challenger Center education program his widow June co-founded has since reached millions of students.