William C. McCool

U.S. Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia which was destroyed during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003
(Redirected from Willie McCool)

William Cameron "Willie" McCool (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) (Cmdr, USN) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut.

William C. McCool
William McCool in August 2001
Born(1961-09-23)September 23, 1961
DiedFebruary 1, 2003(2003-02-01) (aged 41)
Over Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesWilliam Cameron McCool
Alma materUSNA, B.S. 1983
UMCP, M.S. 1985
NPS, M.S. 1992
AwardsCongressional Space Medal of Honor
Space career
NASA Astronaut
Previous occupation
Naval aviator, test pilot
Rank Commander, USN
Time in space
15d 22h 20m
Selection1996 NASA Group 16
MissionsSTS-107
Mission insignia

He was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into the atmosphere.[1][2] He was the youngest male member of the crew. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

References

change
  1. NASA. William C. McCool: NASA Astronaut: Biographical Data, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center website, May 2004. Retrieved August 15, 2010. Note: this text, the work of a U.S. Government agency, is a work in the public domain.
  2. Kershaw, Sarah. Space Shuttle Widow Is Ready to Move on From Rituals of Loss, New York Times, December 5, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2010.