Astronaut Dick Scobee: Skilled Pilot, Humble American Hero

“The crew of the Space Shuttle honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them — this morning — as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye, and ‘slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.’”

— President Ronald Reagan’s remarks following the loss of the Challenger Crew on Jan. 28, 1986

By Bob Granath

Space Shuttle mission STS-51-L was to be the 25th mission of the program. The flight plan called for deployment of a Tracking and Data Relay satellite and observation of Halley’s Comet. However, what made it special was to be lessons taught from space by a school teacher. On Jan. 28, 1986, 73 seconds after liftoff of the Space Shuttle Challenger from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the crew and vehicle were lost. The commander for the flight was veteran astronaut Dick Scobee, an experienced test pilot who exhibited humility and admiration for his colleagues.

Scobee’s crew included pilot Mike Smith, along with mission specialists Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik and Ron McNair, as well as payload specialist Greg Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe, an American history teacher from Concord, New Hampshire. All had distinct personalities, but I became acquainted with Scobee prior to his first mission, STS-41C, flown April 6-13, 1984.

During the mission they would deploy the Long Duration Exposure Facility satellite and repair the already orbiting Solar Max spacecraft. The STS-41C crew flew from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to Kennedy for training on March 2, 1984. Additionally, the astronauts planned to spend a day, visiting employees working in key Shuttle processing facilities. I had the opportunity travel with and talk to all five members of that crew, but Dick Scobee impressed as a reserved, modest pilot who wanted to deflect recognition to those around him.

The visit with Shuttle team members included stops at locations such as Kennedy’s Orbiter Processing Facility, Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control Center. At most stops, there was a microphone set up so the astronauts could address the workforce before talking to individuals. Each time, as we arrived, Scobee’s crewmates would poke fun saying, “Hey Dick, you gotta make a speech this time.”

I couldn’t resist asking why he was so reluctant to speak.

“These guys know I avoid giving speeches,” he laughed. “I don’t like attention pointed at me.”

Scobee was pilot on STS-41C with Bob Crippen as commander, along with mission specialists George “Pinky” Nelson, Terry (T.J.) Hart and James “Ox” van Hoften. Shuttle mission specialists were responsible for tasks such as conducting experiments, deploying satellites and performing spacewalks.

“It’s these mission specialists like Pinky, T.J. and Ox, they are the ones who are going to make the Space Shuttle special,” he said. “I just fly the thing.”

Flying was his life’s passion.

From Mechanic to Pilot

A native of Cle Elum, Washington, Scobee enlisted in U.S. Air Force in 1957, becoming an 18-year-old engine mechanic at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. In his off duty time, he attended San Antonio College and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Arizona in 1965.

Later that year, Scobee was commissioned as an officer and was awarded pilot wings in 1966. He went on to fly combat missions during the Vietnam War where, among other honors, he was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After returning to the United States, Scobee graduated from the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, becoming a test pilot. He flew various types of aircraft, including the Boeing 747, the F-111 and C-5 Galaxy. Scobee was also one of the pilots to test the experimental X-24B lifting body flown between 1969 and 1973. That vehicle helped pave the way for technology that made the Space Shuttle possible.

Scobee was one of 35 selected as an astronaut in 1978. This class was notable as it was the first to include women and ethnic minorities. He along with Nelson, Hart and van Hoften were members of that group.

During his visit with the Space Shuttle workforce in 1984, Scobee expressed admiration for those who were preparing the vehicle for the upcoming STS-41C mission.

“It’s a pleasure to see, first hand, the work going on,” he said. “These people work really hard and it pays off.”

While having lunch with Scobee and the STS-41C crew, I mentioned that my wife was named June as was his. He explained that while in San Antonio, he met June Kent during a hayride event for young members of Mayfield Baptist Church.

“I quickly learned June also was interested in airplanes and rockets,” he said. “We started dating soon after and, eventually, married.”

I noted that while attending the University of West Georgia, about 50 miles west of Atlanta, I similarly met my wife, June, at a Baptist Student Union meeting during my senior year.

June Scobee-Rogers

I was working for United Space Alliance (USA), NASA’s Shuttle Program Operations Contractor at Kennedy, when our company leadership decided to have a reunion of the 1978 class of astronauts to coincide with the launch of STS-124 in 2008. USA’s company president was Dick Covey, executive vice president was Dan Brandenstein and director of Engineering, Loren Shriver, along with Mike Coats, director of the Johnson Space Center – all members of that group. They invited all members of that astronaut class, along with spouses, children and families of crewmembers lost on STS-51L.

During a reception, I had just spoken with Terry Hart and Ox van Hoften when Scobee’s widow, June Scobee-Rogers, tapped me on the shoulder.

“I understand you knew Dick,” she said. Scobee-Rogers met and married U.S. Army Lt Gen. Don Rodgers in 1989 after both had lost their spouses.

I explained how I met Dick Scobee before STS-41C and spoke with him again shortly before STS-51L. I also recalled the similar ways we met our wives.

Scobee-Rogers seemed to enjoy my personal recollections of her first husband. She went on to tell me that their children, Kathie and Richard, were doing well. She added that son Richard was having a successful career in the U.S. Air Force. In 2022, Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee retired as chief of Air Force Reserve Command.

“Richard led the jet flyover at Super Bowl XXX,” she said. “The date of the game coincided with the 10th anniversary of the loss of Challenger.”

Day of Remembrance

The three most significant tragedies in NASA’s history occurred on dates close together. The Apollo 1 crew was lost Jan. 27, 1967, STS-51L on Jan. 28, 1986 and the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia of STS-107 on Feb. 1, 2003. At this time of year, the agency and its employees pause to remember.

This is a stark reminder that spaceflight always is “pushing the envelope” on technology. While the benefits are great, so are the risks. Apollo 1 commander Gus Grissom put that in perspective. Ironically, he completed the manuscript for his book, “Gemini,” just two weeks before he, Ed White and Roger Chaffee perished in a flash fire aboard the spacecraft designed for the first crewed mission of the program to land humans on the Moon.

“There will be risks, as there are in any experimental program, and sooner or later, inevitably, we’re going to run head-on into the law of averages and lose somebody,” Grissom wrote. “I hope the American people won’t feel it’s too high a price to pay for our space program.”

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