Francis R. “Dick” Scobee

Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame
Enshrined 1998

Francis R. “Dick” Scobee was born in Cle Elum, Washington. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a commission as 2nd Lt in the USAF in 1965.

Dick completed Air Force Flight training and served a combat tour as a pilot in Vietnam in 1966. In 1972 he graduated from the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California and worked on the test programs for the Boeing 747, X-24B, the (TACT) F-111, and the C-5A.

Dick was selected as an Astronaut candidate and completed training in 1979 and was rated as Astronaut and as Instructor Pilot on the NASA/Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Plane. In April 1984 he flew as pilot on shuttle Mission STS-41-C. On Jan. 28, 1986, Dick was Challenger Spacecraft Commander on Mission STS-51-L launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. One minute 13 seconds after launch, Challenger exploded killing all seven souls on board.

NOTE:

Dick was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor as were all the members of the crew of Challenger after the disaster in January 1986.