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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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High school teacher Christa McAuliffe was the first American civilian selected to go into space. She died in the explosion of the space shuttle 'Challenger' in 1986.

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Jim Lovell was Apollo 13 Commander.

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PERSONAL DATA: Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 25, 1928. Married to the former Marilyn Gerlach, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have four children.

EDUCATION: University of Wisconsin; United States Naval Academy, bachelor of science, 1952; Test Pilot School, NATC, Patuxent River, Maryland, 1958; Aviation Safety School, University of Southern California, 1961; Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School, 1971; honorary doctorates from Rockhurst college, Illinois Wesleyan University, Western Michigan University, Mary Hardin-Baylor College and Milwaukee School of Engineering.

SPECIAL HONORS: Eagle Scout; Sam Houston Area Council 1976 Distinguished Eagle Scout Award; Presidential Medal for Freedom, 1970; NASA Distinguished Service Medal; two Navy Distinguished Flying Crosses; 1967 FAI De Laval and Gold Space Medals (Athens, Greece); the American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award; City of New York Gold Medal in 1969; City of Houston Medal for Valor in 1969; the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences special Trustees Award, 1969; the Institute of Navigation Award, 1969; the University of Wisconsin's Distinguished Alumni Service Award, 1970; co-recipient of the American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement Awards, 1966 and 1968; the Harmon International Trophy, 1966, 1967 and 1969; the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy, 1969; the H. H. Arnold Trophy, 1969; General Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy, 1969; Robert J. Collier Trophy, 1968; Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Service Award; and the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award, 1970.

AFFILIATIONS: Trustee of the National Space Institute; Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots; member Explorers Club; Fellow - American Astronautical Society; Captain Lovell is on the Board of Directors of the Federal Signal Corporation; Astronautics Corporation of America; Astronaut Memorial Foundation; Captain Lovell is also on the Sports Medicine Advisory Board at Rush Presbyterian - St. Lukes Medical Center. He is a regent emeritus for the Milwaukee School of Engineering; on the board of trustees of Lake Forest College; a trustee of the National Space Institute, the Association of Space Explorers; and the Chairman of the National Eagle Scouts Association.

EXPERIENCE: During his Naval career he has had numerous aviator assignments, including a 4-year tour as a test pilot at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland.

While there he served as Program Manager for the F4H "Phantom" Fighter. A graduate of the Aviation Safety School of the University of Southern California, he also served as Safety Engineer with the Fighter Squadron 101 at the Naval Air Station, Oceana, Virginia.

He has logged more than 7,000 hours flying time--more than 3,500 hours in jet aircraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Captain Lovell was selected as an Astronaut by NASA in September 1962. He has since served as backup pilot for the Gemini 4 flight and backup Commander for the Gemini 9 flight, as well as backup Commander to Neil Armstrong for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

On December 4, 1965, he and Frank Borman were launched into space on the history-making Gemini 7 mission. The flight lasted 330 hours and 35 minutes and included the first rendezvous of two manned maneuverable spacecraft.

The Gemini 12 mission, commanded by Lovell with Pilot Edwin Aldrin, began on November 11, 1966. This 4-day, 59-revolution flight brought the Gemini program to a successful close. Lovell served as Command Module Pilot and Navigator on the epic six-day journey of Apollo 8 - man's maiden voyage to the moon - December 21-27, 1968. Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to be lifted into near-earth orbit by a 7-1/2 million pound thrust Saturn V launch vehicle; and Lovell and fellow crewmen, Frank Borman and William A. Anders, became the first humans to leave the Earth's gravitational influence.

He completed his fourth mission as Spacecraft Commander of the Apollo 13 flight, April 11-17, 1970, and became the first man to journey twice to the moon. Apollo 13 was programmed for ten days. However, the original flight plan was modified en route to the moon due to a failure of the Service Module cryogenic oxygen system. Lovell and fellow crewmen, John L. Swigert and Fred W. Haise, working closely with Houston ground controllers, converted their lunar module "Aquarius" into an effective lifeboat. Their emergency activation and operation of lunar module systems conserved both electrical power and water in sufficient supply to assure their safety and survival while in space and for the return to earth.

Captain Lovell held the record for time in space with a total of 715 hours and 5 minutes until surpassed by the Skylab flights.

On March 1, 1973, Captain Lovell retired from the Navy and from the Space Program to join Bay-Houston Towing Company in Houston, Texas. Bay-Houston Towing company is a diversified company involved in harbor and coastwise towing, mining and marketing of peat products for the lawn and garden industry, and ranching. He was promoted to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer on March 1, 1975.

BUSINESS BACKGROUND: On January 1, 1977, Captain Lovell became President of Fisk Telephone Systems, Inc. in Houston, Texas (marketing business communications equipment) in the southwestern United States. On January 1, 1981, he was appointed Group Vice President, Business Communications Systems, a Centel Corporation. He retired from Centel Corp as Executive Vice President and member of Board of Directors on January 1, 1991.

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT: President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Captain Lovell as his consultant for Physical Fitness and Sports in June, 1967. When the Physical Fitness Council was revised under President Nixon in 1970, Captain Lovell was assigned the additional duty of Chairman of the Council. After eleven years of performing his dual role with the Council, he relinquished these positions in 1978. However, he is still a Consultant to the Council and is presently assisting the Council in achieving its objective of making all citizens aware of the importance of being physically fit. The office of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is located in Washington, D.C.

DIRECTORSHIPS: Federal Signal Corporation, Chicago Astronautics Corp. of America, Milwaukee.

DECEMBER 1994

This is the only version available from NASA. Updates must be sought direct from the above named individual.

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PERSONAL DATA: Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 25, 1928. Married to the former Marilyn Gerlach, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have four children. EDUCATION: University of Wisconsin; United States Naval Academy, bachelor of science, 1952; Test Pilot School, NATC, Patuxent River, Maryland, 1958; Aviation Safety School, University of Southern California, 1961; Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School, 1971; honorary doctorates from Rockhurst college, Illinois Wesleyan University, Western Michigan University, Mary Hardin-Baylor College and Milwaukee School of Engineering.

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Michael Collins was part of Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions.

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Michael Collins is a former astronaut who was part of the Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions, the latter of which included the first lunar landing in history.

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Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.

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Astronaut Program

In 1962, Armstrong entered the NASA astronaut program. He and his family moved to Houston, Texas, and Armstrong served as the command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII. He and fellow astronaut David Scott were launched into the earth's orbit on March 16, 1966. While in orbit, they were able to briefly dock their space capsule with the Gemini Agena target vehicle. This was the first time two vehicles had successfully docked in space. During this maneuver, however, they experienced some problems and had to cut their mission short. They landed in the Pacific Ocean nearly 11 hours after the mission's start and were later rescued by the U.S.S. Mason.

Moon Landing

Armstrong faced an even bigger challenge in 1969. Along with Michael Collins and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, he was part of NASA's first manned mission to the moon. The trio was launched into space on July 16, 1969. Serving as the mission's commander, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module to the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, with Aldrin aboard. Collins remained on the Command Module.

At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong exited the Lunar Module. He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," as he made his famous first step on the moon. For about two and a half hours, Armstrong and Aldrin collected samples and conducted experiments. They also took photographs, including their own footprints.

Photo: NASANewsmakers

Returning on July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 craft came down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. The crew and the craft were picked up by the U.S.S. Hornet, and the three astronauts were put into quarantine for three weeks.

Before long, the three Apollo 11 astronauts were given a warm welcome home. Crowds lined the streets of New York City to cheer on the famous heroes who were honored in a ticker-tape parade. Armstrong received numerous awards for his efforts, including the Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Later Contributions

Armstrong remained with NASA, serving as deputy associate administrator for aeronautics until 1971. After leaving NASA, he joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati as a professor of aerospace engineering. Armstrong remained at the university for eight years. Staying active in his field, he served as the chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc., from 1982 to 1992.

Helping out at a difficult time, Armstrong served as vice chairman of the Presidential Commission on the space shuttle Challenger accident in 1986. The commission investigated the explosion of the Challenger on January 28, 1986, which took the lives of its crew, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

Despite being one of the most famous astronauts in history, Armstrong largely shied away from the public eye. In a rare interview for the news program 60 Minutes in 2005, he described the moon to interviewer Ed Bradley: "It's a brilliant surface in that sunlight. The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on earth. It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it."

Even in his final years, Armstrong remained committed to space exploration. The press-shy astronaut returned to the spotlight in 2010 to express his concerns over changes made to the U.S. space program. He testified in Congress against President Barack Obama's decision to cancel the Constellation program, which included another mission to the moon. Obama also sought to encourage private companies to get involved in the space travel business and to move forward with more unmanned space missions.

Taking this new decision, Armstrong said, would cost the United States its leadership position in space exploration. "America is respected for its contributions it has made in learning to sail on this new ocean. If the leadership we have acquired through our investment is simply allowed to fade away, other nations will surely step in where we have faltered. I do not believe that would be in our best interests," he told Congress.

'First Man' Book & Movie

The iconic astronaut's authorized biography, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, was published in 2005. It was written by James R. Hansen, who conducted interviews with Armstrong, as well as his family, friends and associates.

The book was later adapted for a biopic, with First Man hitting theaters in 2018. Directed by Damien Chazelle, the film starred Ryan Gosling as Armstrong, with Claire Foy, Jason Clarke and Kyle Chandler in supporting roles.

Marriages & Children

Armstrong married Janet Shearon on January 28, 1956. The couple soon added to their family. Son Eric arrived in 1957, followed by daughter Karen in 1959. Sadly, Karen died of complications related to an inoperable brain tumor in January 1962. The following year, the Armstrongs welcomed their third child, son Mark.

Following his divorce from Janet in 1994, Armstrong married his second wife, Carol Held Knight.

Death & Controversy

Armstrong underwent a heart bypass operation at a hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, in August 2012. Two weeks later, on August 25, 2012, the 82-year-old Armstrong died of complications from the operation.

Shortly after his death, his family released a statement: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

News of Armstrong's death quickly spread around the world. President Obama was among those offering tributes to the late space pioneer, declaring: "Neil was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time."

Aldrin added: "I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew. My friend Neil took the small step but giant leap that changed the world and will forever be remembered as a landmark moment in human history."

In July 2019, shortly after celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, The New York Times reported on a previously unknown controversy surrounding the astronaut's death. According to The Times, after Armstrong checked into Mercy Health - Fairfield Hospital with symptoms of heart disease in August 2012, doctors made a questionable decision to immediately perform bypass surgery. Afterward, when the removal of temporary wires for a pacemaker resulted in internal bleeding, another questionable move was made to bring Armstrong to a catheterization lab instead of directly to an operating room.

The hospital eventually reached a $6 million settlement with Armstrong's surviving family, with the stipulation that the details surrounding the medical care and settlement remain private.
Watch a collection of episodes featuring Apollo 11 on History Vault

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In 1962, Armstrong entered the NASA astronaut program. He and his family moved to Houston, Texas, and Armstrong served as the command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII. He and fellow astronaut David Scott were launched into the earth's orbit on March 16, 1966.

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Neil Armstrong was the first man walk on the moon.

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This Ohio astronaut, who began his career at NASA's Glenn Research Center, later became the first man to walk on the moon.

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Buzz Aldrin was the second man to walk on the moon.

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Quick Facts

Name

Buzz Aldrin

Birth Date

January 20, 1930 (age 90)

Did You Know?

Aldrin once punched a man in the face for claiming that the Moon landings were fabricated.

Did You Know?

Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon.

Education

Montclair High School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, West Point Military Academy

Place of Birth

Montclair, New Jersey

Originally

Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.

Zodiac Sign

Aquarius

Who Is Buzz Aldrin?

Buzz Aldrin's father, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was the one who originally encouraged his interest in flight. Aldrin became a fighter pilot and flew in the Korean War. In 1963, he was selected by NASA for the next Gemini mission. In 1969, Aldrin, along with Neil Armstrong, made history when they walked on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission. Aldrin later worked to develop space-faring technology and became an author, writing several sci-fi novels, children's books and memoirs including Return to Earth (1973), Magnificent Desolation (2009)and No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon(2016).

Early Life

Famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. on January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey. He earned his nickname, "Buzz," as a child when his little sister mispronounced the word "brother" as "buzzer. His family shortened the nickname to "Buzz." Aldrin would make it his legal first name in 1988.

His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army chaplain. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, was a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. In 1947, Aldrin graduated from Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey, and headed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He took well to the discipline and strict regimens and was the first in his class his freshman year. He graduated third in his class in 1951 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.

Military Career

Aldrin's father felt his son should continue on to multi-engine flight school so that he could eventually take charge of his own flight crew, but Aldrin wanted to become a fighter pilot. His father relented to his son's wishes, and after a summer of hitching around Europe on military planes, Aldrin officially entered the United States Air Force in 1951. He again scored near the top of his class in flight school and began fighter training later that year.

During his time in the military, Aldrin joined the 51st Fighter Wing, where he flew F-86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions in Korea. During the Korean War, F-86 planes fought to defend South Korea from the invasion of Communist forces in North Korea. Aldrin's wing was responsible for breaking the enemy "kills" record during combat, when they shot down 61 enemy MIGs and grounded 57 others in one month of combat. Aldrin shot down two MIG-15s, and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service during the war.

After a cease-fire was declared between North and South Korea in 1953, Aldrin returned home. He pursued higher education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he planned to complete a master's degree and then apply for test pilot school. Instead, he earned a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics, graduating in 1963. His thesis subject "Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous" was the study of bringing piloted spacecraft into close proximity with each other.

Space Flight and Apollo 11

His specialized study of rendezvous helped to earn him entry into the space program shortly after graduation. In 1963, Aldrin was part of a third group of men selected by NASA to attempt to pioneer space flight. He was the first astronaut with a doctorate and because of his expertise he earned the nickname "Dr. Rendezvous." Aldrin was put in charge of creating docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft. He also pioneered underwater training techniques to simulate spacewalking.

Photo: Space Frontiers/Getty Images

In 1966, Aldrin and astronaut Jim Lovell were assigned to the Gemini 12 crew. During their November 11 to November 15, 1966, space flight, Aldrin made a five-hour spacewalk - the longest and most successful spacewalk ever completed at that time. He also used his rendezvous abilities to manually recalculate all the docking maneuvers on the flight, after the on-board radar failed. He also took a photograph of himself, which would later be called the first "selfie" in space, on that mission.

After Gemini 12, Aldrin was assigned to the back-up crew of Apollo 8 along with Neil Armstrong and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt. For the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, Aldrin served as the lunar module pilot. On July 20, 1969, he made history as the second man to walk on the moon, following mission commander Armstrong, who took the first step on the lunar surface. They spent a total of 21 hours during the moonwalk and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. The walk, which was televised, drew an estimated 600 million people to watch, becoming the world's largest television audience in history.

Upon their safe return to Earth, Aldrin was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, followed by a 45-day international goodwill tour. Other honors include having Asteroid "6470 Aldrin" and the "Aldrin Crater" on the moon named after him. Aldrin and his Apollo 11 crew mates Armstrong and Michael Collins also received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011, and the Apollo 11 crew were honored with four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California.

Later Career

Photo: Courtesy of NASA

In March 1972, after 21 years of service, Aldrin retired from active duty and returned to the Air Force in a managerial role. He later revealed in his 1973 autobiography, Return to Earth, that he battled depression and alcoholism following his years with NASA, leading to a divorce.

After rediscovering sobriety, Aldrin turned to studying advancements in space technology. He devised a spacecraft system for missions to Mars known as the "Aldrin Mars Cycler," and received three U.S. patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules.

He also founded ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing space education, exploration and affordable space flight experiences. In 2014, he revamped the nonprofit to focus on STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) to inspire children from kindergarten through 8th grade to learn about space.

In August 2015, he launched the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech "to promote and develop his vision of a permanent human settlement on the planet Mars," according to his official website.

Aldrin also continued to give lectures and make television appearances, including competing on Dancing with the Stars in 2010, where he showed the world that a senior astronaut still had some impressive moves. He also made guest appearances on The Simpsons, 30 Rock and The Big Bang Theory, and had a cameo in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

Additionally, the iconic astronaut collaborated with hip-hop artists Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli to create the song "Rocket Experience" to promote space exploration to young people. Proceeds from the sale of the song and video, which features music producer Quincy Jones and rapper Soulja Boy, benefit ShareSpace.

In November 2016, Aldrin was on a tourist trip to Antarctica when he had to be medically evacuated to be treated at a hospital in New Zealand. A statement on his website said he was in stable condition with "fluid in his lungs," but in good spirits and responding well to antibiotics.

In April 2018, the U.K.'s Daily Star reported that Aldrin had submitted to an advanced technology lie detector test, which determined he was telling the truth when recalling how he saw a possible UFO during the famed Apollo 11 trip in 1969. Stories of Aldrin's supposed encounter had served as a touchstone for alien truthers for years, but the man himself squashed the rumors through his spokesperson, calling them "fabrication for the sake of headlines."

That June, Aldrin filed a lawsuit against two of his children, Andrew and Jan Aldrin, along with his business manager, Christina Korp, alleging elder and financial exploitation. The following month, he was a surprise no-show at the Apollo gala that commenced a year-long anniversary of the first moon landing, despite the event being sponsored by ShareSpace. No reason was initially given for his absence.

Books

In his later career, Aldrin became a prolific author. In addition to his first autobiography Return to Earth, he wrote Magnificent Desolation, a memoir that hit bookshelves in 2009 - just in time for the 40th anniversary of his historic moon landing. He has also written several children's books, including Reaching for the Moon (2005), Look to the Stars (2009)and Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet (2015); science-fiction novels including T he Return (2000) and Encounter with Tiber (2004), co-authored with John Barnes; and Men from Earth (1989), a historical account of the lunar landing. He released the memoir No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon in 2016.

Personal Life

Aldrin has been married three times. He and his first wife, actress Joan Archer, had three children together - James, Janice and Andrew. His second wife was Beverly Zile. He married his third wife, Lois Driggs Cannon, on Valentine's Day in 1988. They divorced in 2012.
Watch a collection of episodes featuring Apollo 11 on History Vault

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

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Name Buzz Aldrin Birth Date January 20, 1930 (age 90) Did You Know? Aldrin once punched a man in the face for claiming that the Moon landings were fabricated. Did You Know? Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon. Education Montclair High School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, West Point Military Academy Place of Birth Montclair, New Jersey Originally Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The shuttle crew, of seven astronauts--including the specialties of pilot, aerospace engineers, and scientists-- died tragically in the explosion of their spacecraft during the launch of STS-51-L from the Kennedy Space Center about 11:40 a.m., EST, on January 28, 1986. The explosion occurred 73 seconds into the flight as a result of a leak in one of two Solid Rocket Boosters that ignited the main liquid fuel tank. The crewmembers of the Challenger represented a cross-section of the American population in terms of race, gender, geography, background, and religion. The explosion became one of the most significant events of the 1980s, as billions around the world saw the accident on television and empathized with any one of the several crewmembers killed.

The spacecraft commander was Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis W. Scobee. He was born on May 19, 1939, in Cle Elum, Washington, and graduated from the public high school in Auburn, Washington, in 1957. He then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, training as a reciprocating engine mechanic but longing to fly. He took night courses and in 1965 completed a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona. This made it possible for Scobee to receive an officer's commission and enter the Air Force pilot training program. He received his pilot's wings in 1966 and began a series of flying assignments with the Air Force, including a combat tour in Vietnam. Scobee also married June Kent of San Antonio, Texas, and they had two children, Kathie R. and Richard W., in the early 1960s. He attended the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 1972 and thereafter was involved in several test programs. As an Air Force test pilot Scobee flew more than 45 types of aircraft, logging more than 6,500 hours of flight time.

In 1978 Scobee entered NASA's astronaut corps and was the pilot of STS-41-C, the fifth orbital flight of the Challenger spacecraft, launching from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 6, 1984. During this seven-day mission the crew successfully retrieved and repaired the ailing Solar Maximum Satellite and returned it to orbit. This was an enormously important mission, because it demonstrated the capability that NASA had long said existed with the Space Shuttle to repair satellites in orbit.

The pilot for the fatal 1986 Challenger mission was Michael J. Smith, born on April 30, 1945 in Beaufort, North Carolina. At the time of the Challenger accident a commander in the U.S. Navy, Smith had been educated at the U.S. Naval Academy, class of 1967, and received an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1968. From there he underwent aviator training at Kingsville, Texas, and received his wings in May 1969. After a tour as an instructor at the Navy's Advanced Jet Training Command between 1969 and 1971, Smith flew A- 6 "Intruders" from the USS Kitty Hawk in Southeast Asia. Later he worked as a test pilot for the Navy, flying 28 different types of aircraft and logging more than 4,300 hours of flying time. Smith was selected as a NASA astronaut in May 1980, and a year later, after completing further training, he received an assignment as a Space Shuttle pilot, the position he occupied aboard Challenger. This mission was his first space flight.

Judith A. Resnik was one of three mission specialists on Challenger. Born on April 5, 1949 at Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Dr. Marvin Resnik, a respected Akron optometrist, and Sarah Resnik. Brought up in the Jewish religion, Resnik was educated in public schools before attending Carnegie-Mellon University, where she received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1970, and the University of Maryland, where she took at Ph.D. in the same field in 1977. Resnik worked in a variety of professional positions with the RCA corporation in the early 1970s and as a staff fellow with the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, between 1974 and 1977.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in January 1978, the first cadre containing women, Resnik underwent the training program for Shuttle mission specialists during the next year. Thereafter, she filled a number of positions within NASA at the Johnson Space Center, working on aspects of the Shuttle program. Resnik became the second American woman in orbit during the maiden flight of Discovery, STS-41-D, between August 30 and September 5, 1984. During this mission she helped to deploy three satellites into orbit; she was also involved in biomedical research during the mission. Afterward, she began intensive training for the STS-51- L mission on which she was killed. Ronald E. McNair was the second of three mission specialists aboard Challenger. Born on October 21, 1950 in Lake City, South Carolina, McNair was the son of Carl C. McNair, Sr., and Pearl M. McNair. He achieved early success in the segregated public schools he attended as both a student and an athlete. Valedictorian of his high school class, he attended North Carolina A&T State University where in 1971 he received a B.S. degree in physics. He went on to study physics at MIT, where he specialized in quantum electronics and laser technology, completing his Ph.D. in 1977. As a student he performed some of the earliest work on chemical HF/DF and high pressure CO lasers, publishing pathbreaking scientific papers on the subject.
McNair was also a physical fitness advocate and pursued athletic training from an early age. He was a leader in track and football at his high school. He also became a black belt in Karate, and while in graduate school began offering classes at St. Paul's AME Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also participated in several Karate tournaments, taking more than 30 trophies in these competitions. While involved in these activities McNair met and married Cheryl B. Moore of Brooklyn, New York, and they later had two children. After completing his Ph.D. he began working as a physicist at the Optical Physics Department of Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California, and conducted research on electro-optic laser modulation for satellite-to-satellite space communications.

This research led McNair into close contact with the space program for the first time, and when the opportunity presented itself he applied for astronaut training. In January 1978 NASA selected him to enter the astronaut cadre, one of the first three Black Americans selected. McNair became the second Black American in space between Febrary 3 and 11, 1984, by flying on the Challenger Shuttle mission STS-41-B. During this mission McNair operated the maneuverable arm built by Canada used to move payloads in space. The 1986 mission on which he was killed was his second Shuttle flight.

Ellison S. Onizuka, was the last of the three mission specialists. He had been born in Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii, on June 24, 1946, of Japanese-American parents. He attended the University of Colorado, receiving B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering in June and December 1969, respectively. While at the university he married Lorna Leido Yoshida of Hawaii, and the couple eventually had two children. He also participated in the Air Force R.O.T.C. program, leading to a commission in January 1970. Onizuka served on active duty with the Air Force until January 1978 when he was selected as a NASA astronaut. With the Air Force in the early 1970s he was an aerospace flight test engineer at the Sacramento Air Logistics Center. After July 1975 he was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, as squadron flight test officer and later as chief of the engineering support section.

When Onizuka was selected for the astronaut corps he entered into a one year training program and then became eligible for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flights. He worked on orbiter test and checkout teams and launch support crews at the Kennedy Space Center for the first two Shuttle missions. Since he was an Air Force officer on detached duty with NASA, Onizuka was a logical choice to serve on the first dedicated Department of Defense classified mission. He was a mission specialist on STS-51-C, taking place 24-27 Jan. 1985 on the Discovery orbiter. The Challenger flight was his second Shuttle mission.

The last two members of the Challenger crew were not officially Federal government employees. Gregory B. Jarvis, a payload specialist, worked for the Hughes Aircraft Corp.'s Space and Communications Group in Los Angeles, California, and had been made available for the Challenger flight by his company. Jarvis had been born on August 24, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan. He had been educated at the State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving a B.S. in electrical engineering (1967); at Northeastern University, Boston, where he received an M.S. degree in the same field (1969); and at West Coast University, Los Angeles, where he completed coursework for an M.S. in management science (1973). Jarvis began work at Hughes in 1973 and served in a variety of technical positions until 1984 when he was accepted into the astronaut program under Hughes' sponsorship after competing against 600 other Hughes employees for the opportunity. Jarvis' duties on the Challenger flight had revolved around gathering new information on the design of liquid-fueled rockets.

The last member of the crew was Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. Selected from among more than 11,000 applicants from the education profession for entrance into the astronaut ranks, McAuliffe had been born on September 2, 1948, the oldest child of Edward and Grace Corrigan. Her father was at that time completing his sophomore year at Boston College, but not long thereafter he took a job as an assistant comptroller in a Boston department store and the family moved to the Boston suburb of Framingham. As a youth she registered excitement over the Apollo moon landing program, and wrote years later on her astronaut application form that "I watched the Space Age being born and I would like to participate."

McAuliffe attended Framingham State College in her hometown, graduating in 1970. A few weeks later she married her longstanding boyfriend, Steven McAuliffe, and they moved to the Washington, DC, metropolitan area so Steven could attend Georgetown Law School. She took a job teaching in the secondary schools, specializing in American history and social studies. They stayed in the Washington area for the next eight years, she teaching and completing an M.A. from Bowie State University, in Maryland. They moved to Concord, New Hampshire, in 1978 when Steven accepted a job as an assistant to the state attorney general. Christa took a teaching post at Concord High School in 1982, and in 1984 learned about NASA's efforts to locate an educator to fly on the Shuttle. The intent was to find a gifted teacher who could communicate with students from space.

NASA selected McAuliffe for this position in the summer of 1984 and in the fall she took a year-long leave of absence from teaching, during which time NASA would pay her salary, and trained for an early 1986 Shuttle mission. She had an immediate rapport with the media, and the teacher in space program received tremendous popular attention as a result. It is in part because of the excitement over McAuliffe's presence on the Challenger that the accident had such a significant impact on the nation.

For Further Reading:

Joseph D. Atkinson, Jr., and Jay M. Shafritz, The Real Stuff: A History of the NASA Astronaut Recruitment Program (New York: Praeger 1985).

Daniel and Susan Cohen, Heroes of the Challenger (London: Archway Paperbacks, 1986).

Grace Corrigan, A Journal for Christa: Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1993).

Robert E. Hohler, "I Touch the Future . . ." The Story of Christa McAuliffe (New York: Random House, 1986).

William P. Rogers, et al., Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, five volumes (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1986).

David Shayler, Shuttle Challenger (London: Salamander Books, 1987).

Joseph J. Trento, with reporting by Susan B. Trento, Prescription for Disaster: From the Glory of Apollo to the Betrayal of the Shuttle (New York: Crown Pubs., 1987).

Staff of the Washington Post, Challengers: The Inspiring Life Stories of the Seven Brave Astronauts of Shuttle Mission 51-L (New York: Pocket Books, 1986).

For further information email hq-histinfo@nasa.gov
Updated October 22, 2004

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The Crew of the Challenger Shuttle Mission in 1986

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration The shuttle crew, of seven astronauts--including the specialties of pilot, aerospace engineers, and scientists-- died tragically in the explosion of their spacecraft during the launch of STS-51-L from the Kennedy Space Center about 11:40 a.m., EST, on January 28, 1986.

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First American Women to go into space.

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Floating freely on the flight deck, Sally Ride communicates with ground controllers in Houston during her STS-7 mission in June 1983.

Credit: NASA

Sally Ride became the first American woman to go into space when she flew on the space shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983. She made two shuttle flights, and later became a champion for science education and a role model for generations. Ride died of cancer in 2012.

Born in Encino, Calif., on May 26, 1951, Sally Kristen Ride was the older of two daughters of Dale B. Ride and Carol Joyce (Anderson) Ride. Her father was a professor of political science and her mother was a counselor. While neither had a background in the physical sciences, she credited them with fostering her deep interest in science by encouraging her to explore.

An athletic youngster, Ride attended Westlake High School for Girls, a prep school in Los Angeles, on a partial tennis scholarship. She graduated in 1968. After a brief foray into professional tennis, she returned to California to attend Stanford University. There she received a bachelor of science degree in physics and a bachelor of arts degree in English in 1973. Furthering her studies at Stanford, she obtained a master of science degree in 1975 and a doctorate in physics in 1978, according to a NASA biography of Ride.

After completing her studies at Stanford, Ride applied to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Besting thousands of applicants, Ride was selected as one of NASA's first six female astronauts and began spaceflight training in 1978.

Ride started her aeronautics career on the ground, serving as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) as part of the ground-support crew for the second (November 1981) and third (March 1982) shuttle flights.

At 32, Ride experienced her first spaceflight as a mission specialist on STS-7, NASA's seventh shuttle mission, aboard the space shuttle Challenger. The mission launched on June 18, 1983, and returned to Earth on June 24. Tasks on the mission included launching communications satellites for Canada and Indonesia. The astronauts also conducted the first successful satellite deployment and retrieval in space using the shuttle's robotic arm. During the flight, Ride became the first woman to operate the shuttle's robotic arm.

Ride's history-making Challenger mission was not her only spaceflight. She also became the first American woman to travel to space a second time when she launched on another Challenger mission, STS-41-G, on Oct. 5, 1984. That mission lasted nine days. On that flight, she used the shuttle's robotic arm to remove ice from the shuttle's exterior and to readjust a radar antenna. Ride was assigned to a third shuttle mission, but her crew's training was cut short by the Challenger disaster in January 1986. [Images: Sally Ride: First American Woman in Space]

While Ride shaped the future of space aeronautics on her first historic Challenger flight, she continued to influence the space program after her days of space travel were over. Ride served on the accident investigation boards set up in response to the two space shuttle tragedies - Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. In 2009, she participated in the Augustine committee that helped define NASA's spaceflight goals.

From 1982 to 1987, Ride was married to fellow astronaut Steven Hawley. They had no children.

Former astronaut Sally Ride talks to young women at the Sally Ride Science Festival, held at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla., in 2003.

Credit: NASA

After she left NASA in 1987, her passion for space and science continued. Ride joined Stanford University Center for International Security and Arms Control. She later became a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She served as president of Space.com from 1999 to 2000.

Believing that it was important encourage students - especially girls - to embrace the study of science, she co-founded Sally Ride Science, a science outreach company, in 2001, with her partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy. One of the company's efforts included adding the MoonKam experiment onto unmanned NASA's Grail moon gravity probes, which allowed students to choose and take their own photos of the moon from lunar orbit.

Ride also wrote five science-related children's books: "To Space and Back"; "Voyager"; "The Third Planet"; "The Mystery of Mars"; and "Exploring Our Solar System."

Ride died on July 23, 2012, at the age of 61 following a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ride received numerous accolades shortly after her death. The spot on the moon where NASA intentionally crashed Ebb and Flow, the two gravity-mapping probes in the Grail mission, was named after her. Ride had played a key role in the project's education and outreach efforts. The U.S. Navy named a research ship after the astronaut. President Barack Obama posthumously awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in November 2013.

"As the first American woman in space, Sally did not just break the stratospheric glass ceiling, she blasted through it," Obama said. "And when she came back to Earth, she devoted her life to helping girls excel in fields like math, science and engineering."

In 2014, journalist Lynn Sherr released a book about Sally Ride called " Sally Ride: America's First Woman In Space." Sherr had covered Ride's career extensively while working for ABC News, and over the years the two women became friends. Shortly after the book was published, Sherr did an interview with Space.com partner collectSPACE about Ride's career and the importance of the women's movement in her life.

O'Shaughnessy also wrote a children's biography of Ride, called " Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America's Pioneering Woman in Space." In an interview with Space.com, O'Shaughnessy said Sherr did an excellent job in her family-approved biography, but she wanted another to write another one to convey Ride's message to children.

"I started thinking about doing one myself for kids, and trying to do it as appropriately as I could with all the issues of death and being gay and being a gay couple, and Sally being such a hero to so many people," she said in a Space.com interview in 2015.

In late 2017, the U.S. Postal Service announced that Ride's image would appear on a stamp in 2018. The design portrays a painted portrait of Ride as she appeared around the time of her first spaceflight in 1983. Behind her is a space shuttle heading into space. "Sally Ride inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist and dedicated educator," the USPS said in a press release at the time.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howell, Space.com contributor

Additional resources

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Sally Ride: First American Woman in Space

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Sally Ride became the first American woman to go into space when she flew on the space shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983. She made two shuttle flights, and later became a champion for science education and a role model for generations. Ride died of cancer in 2012.

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America’s space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The term "astronaut" derives from the Greek words meaning "star sailor," and refers to all who have been launched as crew members aboard NASA spacecraft bound for orbit and beyond. The term "astronaut" has been maintained as the title for those selected to join the NASA corps of astronauts who make "star sailing" their career profession.

Quick Facts

Since inception, NASA has selected 360 astronaut candidates: 299 men, 61 women; 212 military, 138 civilians; 191 pilots, 159 non-pilots.

When Expedition 1 arrived at the International Space Station on Nov. 2, 2000, there has been a continuous human presence at the space station since. Today there are usually seven astronauts living on board at any given time, from a variety of countries.

The first class of NASA astronauts was selected in 1959. They are known as the Mercury 7.

Astronaut Appearance Request

The Astronaut Appearances Office in Houston, Texas coordinates and arranges astronaut appearances for astronauts who are actively employed by NASA.

NASA astronauts appear before a variety of groups to inform the public about the U.S. space program. Typically, presentations are made to high schools and universities, community organizations, businesses and associations, or military organizations.

Request Astronaut Appearance about Astronaut Appearance Request

Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.

History

Astronaut Selection

More than 12,000 people applied to be an astronaut between March 2 and March 31, 2020.

The astronaut selection committee is now in the process of reviewing those applications. NASA expects to announce its selections in mid-2021.

Learn More About Astronaut Selection about Astronaut Selection

Astronaut Outreach and media resources

Discover More Topics From NASA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The term "astronaut" derives from the Greek words meaning "star sailor," and refers to all who have been launched as crew members aboard NASA spacecraft bound for orbit and beyond. The term "astronaut" has been maintained as the title for those selected to join the NASA corps of astronauts who make "star sailing" their career profession.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The term "astronaut" derives from the Greek words meaning "star sailor," and refers to all who have been launched as crew members aboard NASA spacecraft bound for orbit and beyond. The term "astronaut" has been maintained as the title for those selected to join the NASA corps of astronauts who make "star sailing" their career profession.

Quick Facts

Since inception, NASA has selected 360 astronaut candidates: 299 men, 61 women; 212 military, 138 civilians; 191 pilots, 159 non-pilots.

When Expedition 1 arrived at the International Space Station on Nov. 2, 2000, there has been a continuous human presence at the space station since. Today there are usually seven astronauts living on board at any given time, from a variety of countries.

The first class of NASA astronauts was selected in 1959. They are known as the Mercury 7.

Astronaut Appearance Request

The Astronaut Appearances Office in Houston, Texas coordinates and arranges astronaut appearances for astronauts who are actively employed by NASA.

NASA astronauts appear before a variety of groups to inform the public about the U.S. space program. Typically, presentations are made to high schools and universities, community organizations, businesses and associations, or military organizations.

Request Astronaut Appearance about Astronaut Appearance Request

Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.

History

Astronaut Selection

More than 12,000 people applied to be an astronaut between March 2 and March 31, 2020.

The astronaut selection committee is now in the process of reviewing those applications. NASA expects to announce its selections in mid-2021.

Learn More About Astronaut Selection about Astronaut Selection

Astronaut Outreach and media resources

Discover More Topics From NASA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The term "astronaut" derives from the Greek words meaning "star sailor," and refers to all who have been launched as crew members aboard NASA spacecraft bound for orbit and beyond. The term "astronaut" has been maintained as the title for those selected to join the NASA corps of astronauts who make "star sailing" their career profession.

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NASA Engineer

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Cory Powell - From Third Grade Math Failure to Lead NASA Engineer

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Cory Powell - From Third Grade Math Failure to Lead NASA Engineer

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Video

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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Part of the Expedition 53/54 crew. We will be speaking to him on February 14.

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NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

# data[].attributes.body
Part of the Expedition 53/54 crew. We will be speaking to him on February 14.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

# data[].attributes.body
Part of the Expedition 53/54 crew. We will be speaking to him on February 14.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind.

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While reentering the earth's atmosphere, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart killing all seven crew members. This link will take you to Columbia crew member biographies.

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NASA Home > Mission Sections > Space Shuttle > Columbia > Crew Profiles