Ronald McNair
American astronaut and physicist (1950–1986)
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Key Takeaways
- Ronald Erwin McNair (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an American NASA astronaut and physicist.
- Prior to the Challenger disaster, McNair flew as a mission specialist on STS-41-B aboard Challenger from February 3 to 11, 1984, becoming the second African-American in space.
- McNair, an auto repairman, and his wife, a high school teacher named Pearl.
- , as well as his younger brother, Eric, McNair grew up in a low-income household, his home having lacked both electricity and running water.
- His older brother, writing in a posthumous biography about McNair, described how the family "covered the floor and furniture with pots and pans to catch the water dripping through the roof" when it rained.
Ronald Erwin McNair (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an American NASA astronaut and physicist. He died at the age of 35 during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, in which he was serving as one of three mission specialists in a crew of seven.
Prior to the Challenger disaster, McNair flew as a mission specialist on STS-41-B aboard Challenger from February 3 to 11, 1984, becoming the second African-American in space.
Background
Ronald Erwin McNair was born in Lake City, South Carolina, on October 21, 1950, to Carl C. McNair, an auto repairman, and his wife, a high school teacher named Pearl. Growing up alongside his older brother, Carl S., as well as his younger brother, Eric, McNair grew up in a low-income household, his home having lacked both electricity and running water. The family later moved into a better, though still poor-quality household following the death of McNair's grandfather. His older brother, writing in a posthumous biography about McNair, described how the family "covered the floor and furniture with pots and pans to catch the water dripping through the roof" when it rained.
In the summer of 1959, McNair refused to leave the segregated Lake City Public Library without being allowed to check out his books. After the police and his mother were called, McNair was allowed to borrow books from the library; the building that housed the library at the time is now named after him.
McNair attended Lake City Elementary School and Carver High School, where he graduated as valedictorian in 1967.
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