Dick Scobee
A test pilot turned astronaut whose final command ended in tragedy, forever linking his name with the Challenger disaster and the risks of space exploration.
1939–1986 (age 47)·American astronaut·Birthday: May 19·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dick Scobee's path to the stars was carved through sheer determination. Enlisting in the Air Force, he earned his wings and became a skilled test pilot, logging thousands of hours in dozens of aircraft. Selected by NASA in 1978, he first flew as pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984, successfully deploying a satellite and performing a spacewalk. His competence and quiet leadership earned him the role of commander for STS-51-L. On January 28, 1986, just over a minute after launch, the Challenger broke apart, claiming Scobee and his six crewmates. In death, he became a symbol of the courage inherent in exploration, a professional aviator who understood the dangers but believed in the mission's purpose, his legacy a permanent part of NASA's hard-learned lessons.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dick was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1986Died at 47
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
Key Achievements
- Served as Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger on the ill-fated STS-51-L mission in 1986.
- Piloted the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-C in 1984, which successfully deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility and repaired the Solar Maximum Mission satellite.
- Logged over 7,000 hours of flight time in more than 45 types of aircraft as a U.S. Air Force pilot and test pilot.
- Was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously in 2004.
Did You Know?
He worked as a mechanic and petrol pump attendant to pay for flying lessons before he could afford formal training.
He was a talented artist and enjoyed sketching and painting in his spare time.
A elementary school in Auburn, Washington, his hometown, was renamed in his honor after the disaster.
He served two tours in the Vietnam War as a combat pilot.
“We strap in and light the fires, and that's when the fun really begins.”
