Astronaut. Mike Smith was the pilot of the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger. From the time he graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1967, he had an accomplished Navy career which lasted almost 20 years. He earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1968 and completed flight training in 1969. He served as an instructor in the jet training command, and then completed a two year Vietnam cruise with Attack Squadron 52. In 1974, he graduated from the US Navy Test Pilot School. Between 1974 and 1980, he served with the Strike Aircraft Directorate, returned as an instructor at the Test Pilot School, and served two Mediterranean deployments aboard the USS SARATOGA. According to the official NASA biography, he had flown 28 different types of civilian and military aircraft, and logged 4,867.7 hours of flying time. During this time he earned the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, 3 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. He was selected as an astronaut canditate in May 1980, and qualified as a space shuttle pilot in 1981. When the Challenger exploded on takeoff, all those aboard died. He was posthumously awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Mike was married and left behind a widow and three children. (bio by: RosalieAnn)