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Black physicist perished on Challenger
Monday, February 05, 2001 By John G. Radzilowicz, director, Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium & Observatory
It has been 15 years since the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed by an explosion in the skies over Florida. Seven astronauts died Jan. 28, 1986 in the disaster. The Challenger Seven, as they came to be known, represented a cross section of America in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion and more.
Among that crew, was Mission Specialist Ronald E. McNair. McNair was a physicist and an experienced astronaut who was the second African-American to fly in space.
McNair was born in a poor and segregated town in North Carolina in 1950. In spite of the racial discrimination he faced as a boy, he set his sights on a career in science. He was named valedictorian of his high school class and went on to study physics at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He received his degree in 1971 and was accepted for graduate studies at MIT. There, McNair earned his doctorate in laser physics in 1976.
McNair spent two years at Hughes Research Laboratory where he developed a reputation as an international expert in laser physics. He applied to NASA in 1978 and was accepted among the first astronauts for the new space shuttle program. In 1984 at age 33, he made his first space flight aboard the Challenger. During that mission he developed the techniques for using the shuttle's robot arm to move astronauts around the cargo bay.
Besides his contributions to the space program, McNair lead a rich life. He was married and the father of two children. He was a fifth-degree black belt in karate and was a martial arts instructor. McNair was an accomplished jazz saxophonist who took his saxophone on his first space flight.
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