Michael Smith knew early on he wanted to become an astronaut.
Before what was supposed to be his maiden voyage into space aboard Challenger, Smith told the press how excited he was.
“We’re just all looking forward to getting in orbit and getting the secret handshake,” he said.
It would have been a long time in the making.
He was born in Beaufort, North Carolina, in 1945 and obtained a Bachelor of Naval Science from the U.S. Naval Academy. After his undergraduate studies, he pursued a Master’s in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He earned his wings from the Navy in 1969 before becoming a training instructor and eventually serving in Vietnam.
Smith married his wife, Jane, when they were in their early 20s.
“We were on a mission of simply enjoying life. Mike was a man with a plan. He applied for test pilot school in order to be an astronaut,” Jane Smith Wolcott said in an interview with Netflix.
Following test pilot school, Smith worked on missile guidance systems before completing another test pilot school tour as an instructor and going on to serve two Mediterranean deployments. Over the course of his aviation career, he piloted 28 kinds of aircraft — both military and civilian — and logged over 4,860 hours of flight time.
His goal all along was to become an astronaut, and in 1980 he was selected by NASA to begin training.
His family recalls how steadfast he was in his career.
“It was never: ‘I’m an astronaut’ with his chest puffed out. It was just his job,” his daughter, Alison Smith Balch, told The Charlotte Observer in 2011.
He was steadfast in his family mindset, too.
“He was really dedicated to us. He expected us to do our best,” Smith Balch added.
Smith’s wife, Jane Smith-Wolcott, described him as “handsome, tall and tan” to The Charlotte Observer.
“He believed in space exploration,” she said. “But he also wanted to be an astronaut so he could spend more time with his family.”
His son, Scott, recalled in a Netflix interview how his father snuck out of quarantine prior to the Challenger launch to see his children.
While at NASA, Smith served in a variety of roles, including commander of the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory and deputy chief of the Aircraft Operations Division.
His January 1986 Challenger flight, for which he was pilot, was slated to be his first of that year, followed by a second in the fall.
The last voice heard on the tape recorder from the flight deck before the shuttle exploded was Smith’s: “Uh oh.”
His family remembers him as someone who loved woodworking, running, tennis and squash.
“I see his twinkle in the eyes of my children and grandchildren,” Jane Smith Wolcott told The Charlotte Observer.
He was 40 years old when he died. Smith was survived by his wife, Jane, and his three children, Scott, Allison and Erin.
His legacy and dedication to flight lives on at the Michael J. Smith airfield in his hometown. He was posthumously awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and, during his lifetime, earned the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, 13 Strike/Flight Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with “V” Device, the Navy Unit Citation and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.
e tape recorder from the flight deck before the shuttle exploded was Smith’s: “Uh oh.”
He was 40 years old and was survived by his wife, Jane, and his three children, Scott, Allison and Erin. Beyond flight, he loved woodworking, running, tennis and squash.
“I see his twinkle in the eyes of my children and grandchildren,” Jane Smith Wolcott told The Charlotte Observer.
His legacy lives on at the Michael J. Smith airfield in his hometown. He was posthumously awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and, during his lifetime, earned the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, 13 Strike/Flight Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with “V” Device, the Navy Unit Citation and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.