Michael J. Smith (astronaut), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Michael J. Smith (astronaut)

American astronaut

Date of Birth: 30-Apr-1945

Place of Birth: Beaufort, North Carolina, United States

Date of Death: 28-Jan-1986

Profession: astronaut, test pilot, naval officer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986), (Capt, USN), was an American engineer and astronaut.
He served as the pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission, when it broke up 73 seconds into the flight, and at an altitude of 48,000 feet (14.6 km), killing all 7 crew members.
Smith's voice was the last one heard on the Challenger voice recorder.
He was a Master of Science, holding a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. During his Naval career, Smith flew 28 different types of civilian and military aircraft and logged 4,867 hours of flying time.
Following the Challenger disaster, he was promoted posthumously by Congress to the rank of Captain, and has had a Chair named in his honor at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California.