Richard Francis 'Dick' Scobee (19.05.1939-28.01.1986)

[Orionid]

Francis Richard Scobee został wyselekcjonowany w ramach NASA grupa 8 (1978).
Z tej grupy nie żyje już 10. astronautów, z czego połowa zginęła w katastrofach powietrznych.

'Dick' Scobee został 139. człowiekiem w kosmosie.
06.04.1984-13.04.1984 odbył pierwszy lot kosmiczny, który trwał 006d 23h 40m 06s.
Misja miała za zadanie pozostawienie na orbicie LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility) i z naprawę satelity SMM (Solar Maximum Mission).
W dalszym ciągu były testowane jednostki manewrowe MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit).

Jego drugi lot został przerwany po 73 sekundach, gdy misja STS-51L Challenger zakończyła się katastrofą.
Astronauta w chwili śmierci miał 46 lat.

1965 Scobee ukończył studia na Uniwersytecie Arizony, uzyskując tytuł licencjata w dziedzinie inżynierii lotniczej.

1966 został pilotem Sił Powietrznych USA.
Służył w różnych jednostkach bojowych i brał udział w wojnie w Wietnamie.

1971-1972 szkolił się w Szkole Pilotów USAF Aerospace Research w Edwards AFB w Kalifornii.
Po ukończeniu Szkoły pełnił funkcję pilota doświadczalnego, brał udział w testach różnych typów samolotów, w tym Boeinga 747, eksperymentalnego X-24B oraz brał udział w opracowaniu technologii produkcji samolotów transsonicznych (TACT) (F-111) i C-5.

Jego całkowity nalot wyniósł ponad 6500 h na 45 typach samolotów.

W chwili śmierci dowódca misji STS-51L Challenger był podpułkownikiem Sił Powietrznych.

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/scobee_francis.pdf

http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/scobee_richard.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/s/scobee.html
https://www.worldspaceflight.com/bios/s/scobee-f.php

https://mek.kosmo.cz/bio/usa/00139.htm
https://www.kozmo-data.sk/kozmonauti/scobee-francis-richard.html
https://www.astronaut.ru/crossroad/139.htm
https://www.april12.eu/usaastron/scobee139ru.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Scobee
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Scobee

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030822a-scobee-challenger-space-medal-honor.html
https://www.geni.com/people/Lieutenant-Colonel-Richard-Dick-Scobee/6000000034395280770
https://pimaair.org/hall-of-fame/francis-r-dick-scobee/

https://www.astronautscholarship.org/astronauts-francis-r-dick-scobee.html
https://www.mohhc.org/exhibits/congressional-space-medal-of-honor/
https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Monuments-and-Memorials/Space-Shuttle-Challenger

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonythemisfit/3741097137

Francis Richard Scobee | Congressional Space Medal of Honor


June Scobee Rodgers


https://twitter.com/ChallengerCtr/status/1527378676836225026
https://twitter.com/NASAhistory/status/997801545176580096
https://twitter.com/ron_eisele/status/1791903457609240650
K

[Orionid]

Remembering Challenger Commander Dick Scobee (Part 1: From "Swift Water" to Starlifters)
LISL GRUNEWALD UPDATED: FEB 13, 2024



Introduction

I have been a NASA spaceflight enthusiast for years now. My favorite of the space orbiters during the shuttle program was always Challenger, and therefore the loss of that ship and its amazing crew is an event close to heart. Like most, I knew all about Christa McAuliffe, who was the star of that mission as the "Teacher In Space." However, when my curiosity led me to scour the internet for information about the other crew members, they seemed to only be mentioned in passing if they were spoken of in any detail at all.

Indeed, a common opinion shared between the full-fledged astronauts of NASA was that they were perfectly simple, ordinary people doing an extraordinary job. Most, therefore, preferred a quiet life, away from the spotlight.

When one recalls President Reagan speaking the words, "The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger honors by the manner in which they lived their lives," you can't help but wonder what kind of lives they really lived.

In researching commander Dick Scobee and reading the memoirs of his wife, June Scobee Rodgers, I have found he is probably one of the finest men to grace the halls of the NASA astronaut office, and he quickly became a personal hero of mine.



Early Life

Francis Richard ("Dick") Scobee was born May 19, 1939 in the heart of the Cascades, in Cle Elum, Washington. His father, Francis William ("Frank") Scobee was an engineer and trainmaster for the Northern Pacific Railroad and he and his wife Edlynn ("Eddie") raised Dick and his younger brother Jim in nearby Auburn, a small railroad town outside of Seattle.

It was a comfortable and close-knit upbringing. The Scobee's lived in a modest two-story wood-framed house on Fourth Street. Young Dick and his father often went fishing on the nearby Green River.

His devotion to his family was genuine. When he got his first job, he spent his very first paycheck on presents for his mother and brother.

High school days were consumed by playing football, running track, working in the fields picking beans to buy school clothes (and later as a bag boy at the Safeway grocery store), and hanging out with friends at the Rainbow Cafe, a favorite local haunt. A nearly-straight-A student, Dick took his education seriously as well.

The name of Scobee's hometown, Cle Elum, means "swift water" in the language of the Kittitas indian tribe.

His biggest passion, however, was aviation and the world of flight. It was a fascination he displayed almost as soon as he could talk. One of his first words, according to his family, was "airplane," and he asked his mother for a wind-up toy version he saw in a Sears-Roebuck catalog when he was just a toddler.

When Dick was three, his aunt Tene gifted him a toy riding plane with pedals - much like a tricycle - for Christmas. It instantly became his favorite toy, which he rode all around the family property until the wheels wore out. His father thereafter made it into a swing by hanging it from a cherry tree in their backyard, giving Dick an even stronger feeling of euphoria that never diminished. Airplanes, coupled with a dream of flying the real thing, remained his strongest motivation through his high school years, often multi-tasking during class time as he sketched airplanes on his notebook paper while studying. Building model airplanes of wood or plastic was more than a hobby. Miniature Spitfires, P-38's, and numerous other classes of aircraft hung from his bedroom ceiling. They were literally his pride and his labor of love. One aunt even recalled that despite Dick's normally quiet and considerate nature, if you touched one of his model planes, "he had a fit."

Those who knew the childhood and adolescent Dick Scobee tend to echo two sentiments. The first was that he was good, but never outstanding in all he did. The second was perseverance, which by all accounts was probably his most marked trait throughout his life.

According to his high school athletic coach, Dick Scobee was "not outstanding in any way except maybe his attitude, which was real great," he said. "He did not excel in athletics; he was kind of a big, slow kid. It would have been very easy to quit, but he never gave up."

His teachers remembered him similarly, as a good, "but not brilliant" student, who worked very hard.

Dick's high school friends, who described him as a late bloomer socially (he never dated during his school years), never saw him as having any notable ambition to speak of, and assumed he would follow his father into the railroad business.

Though professional athletics or a life dedicated to academia may not have been his calling, Dick Scobee's subsequent accomplishments defy the perception that he was a young man of mediocre talent. The reserved airman-to-be also proved to have been far more ambitious than his peers had initially believed. His perseverance, nonetheless, remained a constant.


Dick Scobee (left) and his younger brother, Jim.

College, Air Force, and Married Life

Dick Scobee's real, if not widely known, ambition was to attend a military academy after high school. His high school counselor told him, however, that he did not have what it took to apply to an academy, meaning that he did not know a senator who could personally recommend him. He took a job at Boeing Air Field until he could enlist in the Air Force. With a high score on the entrance exam, Dick was asked to go into intelligence, but requested to be assigned closer to the airplanes, and began his Air Force career as an airplane mechanic. He was stationed at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio.

While in San Antonio, the nineteen-year-old Dick met Virgina "June" Kent, a sixteen-year-old high school senior, at a hayride event at the Mayfield Baptist Church, of which Kent and family were members. June, it turned out, had a lifelong interest in airplanes, rockets and space science, and the two bonded immediately. They were married at the church the following year. During their first Christmas together, they learned of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier.

Both had a lifelong dream of going to college, and, despite being struggling newlyweds, decided to invest whatever resources they could into making that happen. They enrolled at the local community college, and Dick - seeking a more secure financial future for his family - eventually doubled up on his course work in night school, worked weekends, and then the night shift with the Air Force so that he could attend school full time during the day and take the courses not offered at night.

That January in 1961, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, Kathie Renee.

Later that year, the United States became involved in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and Dick became more and more immersed in his military duties. He was promoted to Sergeant First Class.


Dick and June Scobee, married at Mayfield Baptist Church in San Antonio

During this time, President Kennedy made his famed announcement proposing the plan to land a man on the moon. Dick also watched the historic first space flights of Alan Shepard and John Glenn, and particularly admired Glenn's "serious candor."

Ever the family man, Dick continued to seek out ways to improve the livelihood of his family, but was still not ready to give up on his dream of flying. He considered two Air Force training programs, the first being Officer Candidate School (OCS), in which he would go through training and then be commissioned as an officer. The second, the Airman's Education and Commissioning Program & Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), would send him to a university to study, and upon graduation in a technical field, then send him for officer's training and commissioning.

The U.S. was then in turmoil on the international front. The nation faced major cold war with the Soviet Union, who were on record as having increased their support for Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba. President Kennedy made a major speech regarding Cuba, and announced that all military jobs were frozen. No one was allowed to retire after serving twenty years or after their 4-year commitments.

The announcement solidified Dick's final decision. Realizing that he was most likely in for a long career in the Air Force, he opted for and was selected for the AFIT program and was assigned to study at University of Arizona in his first choice of major, which was aeronautical engineering.

Dick received a promotion to sergeant the following summer. He worked extra diligently in his studies, sometimes sleeping on the living room sofa - so as not to disturb the rest of the family - with an alarm set for the middle of the night for extra hours of studying.

In the spring of 1964, Dick and June added to their family with the birth of a son, Richard William.

Dick graduated from college the following year. By this point, he held out very little hope that he would ever get to fly airplanes, but was happy to resign himself to the role of Airplane Maintenance Officer.


Third from left, in front of the X-24B, the prototype for the Space Shuttle. Scobee Central

Vietnam And NASA's Announcement

During officer training school, Dick learned that the Air Force needed pilots, and he qualified to go to flight training at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia.

He moved to Georgia and quickly advanced through the series of pilot instructors and aircraft, which included the T-34, T-37, and T-38, and graduated from pilot training in 1966 near the top of his class. This gave him a choice of planes to fly which included both fighter planes and cargo jets. Dick decided to fly a newer aircraft, a C-141 jet called the Starlifter. He moved once again with his family to Oklahoma for training, and then to an assignment at Charleston Air Force Base. There, he and June bought their first house in Charleston, and Dick flew around the world on C-141 cargo missions.

A year-long assignment in Vietnam was soon to follow. Dick was to fly the C-7 Caribou, a short take-off and landing aircraft.

In Vietnam, Dick was stationed in Vung Tau, in the 535th tactical airlift squadron. His performance earned him a promotion to the title of Captain, as well as such decorations as the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal, among others.

During Christmas, Dick and his crew painted the nose of their plane to resemble Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and flew across country delivering packages and food to troops in remote areas. Though his risking of his life to protect his squadron mates with his masterful handling of the unwieldy Caribou (designed to carry cargo, not orchestrate enemy fire) was valiant, Dick could only speak of the first-rate performance of his flight crew.

After arriving home safely the following April, Dick's next assignment was to fly a new aircraft, the giant C-5 Galaxy, which he flew all over Europe, Asia, and the Middle East filled with cargo, military personnel, and equipment. He was flying it back home during Neil Armstrong's "giant leap for mankind" upon the lunar surface, in the summer of 1969, which he celebrated with his family upon his return.

By the spring of 1970, Dick had the opportunity to attend the highly competitive Air Force Test Pilot School (ARPS) in the Muroc Desert out in California. He would follow in the footsteps of some of his idols; the likes of the aforementioned Chuck Yeager and Neil Armstrong had also flown there and set speed and altitude records.

Upon graduation from ARPS, Dick landed a job testing airplanes at Edwards Air Force Base. He flew a variety of experimental aircraft, exploring the limits of each one's altitude and speed, as well as their wings, engines, and brakes. The job also involved writing papers and giving speeches on the test results.

Dick Scobee went onto log over 6,500 hours of flight time in more than 45 types of aircraft. He was especially proud of his participation with the design team and test flight of the space shuttle carrier aircraft. His ultimate test flying experience, by far, however, was being selected to fly the X-24B lifting body, the prototype for the space shuttle. Though Dick would never speak highly of himself, his fellow test pilots claimed that he flew it "flawlessly."

It was a testimony just in time for what he would find in the LA Times classified section not long thereafter: NASA was seeking astronauts for their new space shuttle program.
https://discover.hubpages.com/education/Remembering-Challenger-Commander-Dick-Scobee

[Orionid]

Remembering Challenger Commander Dick Scobee (Part 2: Sky Challenger)
LISL GRUNEWALD UPDATED: FEB 4, 2023



The Selection and NASA Life

With the blessings of his wife and both of his children, Dick Scobee mailed in his application to NASA's new space shuttle program. A call came a few weeks thereafter, inviting him to Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio for a medical exam and other tests. Another call followed, summoning him to Houston to be interviewed by a panel. As part of his assignment, Dick was also asked to write a few sentences as to why he wanted to be an astronaut. He penned the following proposal:

Why do I want to become an astronaut? Probably my most compelling reason for wanting to become an astronaut are a desire to extend and use the engineering and test pilot experience I've gained, to hopefully aid in the success of the space program, and for my own satisfaction in realizing a very longstanding personal ambition. I thoroughly enjoy being a test pilot and performing flight-related tasks, and the astronaut program is, to me, a logical extension of that function into new frontiers.


Astronaut Candidate Portrait, 1978

He went onto emphasize his belief in manned space exploration as a means of satisfying a "basic need of mankind to explore and probe the unknown." It was his desire to simply "be an integral part of that exploration."

NASA official, George Abbey, soon phoned Dick Scobee with an exciting question: "Are you still interested in the job at NASA?"

Dick was one of 35 chosen from more than 8,000 applicants. News quickly spread around Edwards Air Force Base where he worked. He was met with mostly genuine congratulations, though a few of his colleagues seemed surprised or told him he was lucky. Still, nothing dampened his spirits.

Dick's family was especially delighted, and drove two cars from California to Houston that summer in 1978 and bought a modest Texas-style house in Clear Lake City, a suburb of Houston adjacent to the Johnson Space Center that has long been home to many NASA astronauts during their careers in the space program.

Dick Scobee's astronaut class was the first selected by NASA in over a decade. This class was not only the first to be selected for the space shuttle program, but also included the first women and minorities. Several would go onto become household names, with perhaps the most famous of all being Sally Ride, First American Woman In Space. They named themselves the "Thirty-Five New Guys," or the "TFNG" for short.


The "35 New Guys" of NASA. Dick Scobee appears in a commanding position front and center, in between pioneering women Sally Ride and Rhea Seddon.

They were a close-knit group, and immediately bonded during their first year of astronaut training. They were divided into two groups -- a red team and a blue team -- for classroom training, flight training, and other activities. Dick Scobee was designated leader of the blue team. All 35 trainees wore t-shirts in their team colors with a "TFNG" symbol on the front designed by classmate (and later Challenger crewmate) Judy Resnik. The emblem depicted the orbiter in space with the cargo bay open and 35 cartoon figures working and hanging all over the vehicle.

Meanwhile, flying was quickly becoming a family affair in the Scobee household. Dick, along with a fellow astronaut, bought an experimental aircraft called a Starduster II. He and June regularly visited the hangar so that he could work on the engine while his wife cleaned and polished the exterior. Dick taught her the basics of flying and aerobatics. Their son, Rich, who had been building a life-sized Burt Rutan plane with his father prior to the move to NASA, also caught the flying bug, as he expressed interest in not only getting a pilots' license, but also joining an aerobatics competition team. He went onto become quite an expert, winning trophies regularly. Daughter Kathie never took to flying quite like her parents and brother, and instead elected to devote her energies to creative writing with aspirations to study journalism in college.

June Scobee, during this time, was wrapped up in education aspirations of her own. Having realized her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher, she was now working toward her PhD in education. After one year, however, she began to wonder if her attempts to balance education with family life were a mistake. Sensing she was failing as a wife and mother, she began a letter of resignation to her major professor at Texas A&M University where she was attending. Son Rich, however, would hear nothing of it. He presented her with a present wrapped in brown paper and string. She opened it to find a long block of polished wood and turned it over to find a name plate bearing the inscription, "Dr. June Scobee." "You can't quit now because it won't come true," he said. The rest of the family had been saving the gift for when she graduated (which, after the prodding from her devoted husband and children, took place in May of 1983).

As Dick and his classmates completed their first year of astronaut training, the first flight of the space shuttle, designated as STS-1, took place April of 1981. It was commanded by John Young with Bob Crippen as his pilot. Dick and most of his class of 35 watched from the Cape Canaveral launch site. According to Sally Ride, who had not yet launched into history, they were more than mere spectators, however. They had a special assignment as part of the STS-1 "Chase Team." Ride recalled the experience in a NASA Oral History report in 2002:

"Everybody was part of the chase crew on STS-1!" she said. "Yes, I was with Dick Scobee. He and I were paired in a T-38 chasing at the Cape. If STS-1 had come back to land at the Cape on RTLS [Return to Launch Site], we would have been one of the chase planes following them in."

Instead of following STS-1 down the runway at Kennedy Space Center, they watched the shuttle fly off the pad from about 18,000 feet in the air in their T-38. Dick later described it as a "very interesting view," but admitted to preferring the riveting sensations of observing from the ground.


Dick Scobee flying a T-38 in preparation for Challenger Mission STS-41C

Shuttle Carrier Abroad, Challenger To The Sky

In 1982, Dick trained to fly the NASA 747 Shuttle Charrier Aircraft (SCA) that would ferry the orbiter cross-country, from Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center.

In May of the following year, Dick and others flew the SCA with the NASA prototype shuttle Enterprise on top. They made trips across country, as well as to Europe, which included the Paris Air show.

"I actually flew the plane around the periphery of Paris," he reminisced to his wife at a French cafe following his assignment. "We did it. It was unbelieveable! We took the plane over the city circling around the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. The view was spectacular! What an amazing opportunity!"

When June inquired as to whether it occurred to him and the crew that they were making history, Dick, as usual, responded as a humble but consummate professional: "No, I just didn't want to screw up," he said. "The responsibility was demanding. All I could do was focus on the flight pattern."

It definitely occurred to those watching down below. Countless people in shops and cafes spoke at great lengths, with one hand over the other to gesture the orbiter riding piggyback on the SCA, some also gesturing toward the heavens with their arms outstretched.


Orbiter prototype Enterprise piggybacked atop the SCA for the Paris Air Show, 1983. Dick Scobee was one of the pilots flying the SCA around the periphery of Paris.



June 18, 1983: Dick Scobee is taking to news anchor Jane Pauley about Sally Ride and STS-7, the 2nd flight of Challenger. He also spoke briefly of his own NASA career, emphasizing that part of the apprehension associated with a space mission is not only the risks involved but also not wanting to fail. "You don't want to fail yourself or the program or anything else," he said.

These types of assignments would become somewhat commonplace for the little boy from Auburn, Washington whose aeronautical dreams began playing on an airplane-shaped swing hanging from a cherry tree in his family's backyard. He was now considered the best of the 15 pilots from NASA's 1978 intake. Former astronauts Alan Bean and John Young, as well as Director of Flight Operations George Abbey, saw a rare talent in Dick Scobee despite not being the youngest or of a fighter jock pedigree.

NASA's second space orbiter, Challenger, arrived at Kennedy Space Center in July of 1982. Dick served as co-pilot on the SCA that delivered her. He also served as Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) during the launch of her maiden voyage, STS-6, in April of 1983.

His chance to fly the shuttle came in April of 1984. He would be the pilot of Challenger, second in command to Bob Crippen, the aforementioned first pilot of the space shuttle, now commanding his second flight.


The crew of STS-41G


Insigna for STS-41C


Alternate insigna, tempting fate, designed by the crew. The patch was extremely exclusive. According to George Nelson, who was mission specialist on the crew, less than twenty were made.

The purpose of the mission was to rendezvous in orbit with the Solar Max satellite. It was to be the first direct ascent trajectory into orbit for a shuttle mission. It was a very important mission, as it involved leaving the orbiter to perform a spacewalk in the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) to repair the satellite. Mission specialist George "Pinky" Nelson was to be the spacewalker.

As the 13th flight of the shuttle, the mission was originally designated as STS-13. NASA, however, changed the numbering system, presumably out of superstitions surrounding the number plus the memory of the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission. The flight would become STS-41C. The first number stood for the last digit of the fiscal year, the second for the launch site (1 for KSC in Florida, 2 for Vandenburg Air Force Base in California, which was never used), and the letter designating the planned launch order (although they seldom flew in their initially planned order).

The crew could have cared less about the number, however. To show they were not intimidated or superstitious, they created an alternate crew patch for their mission depicting a black cat with the number 13 superimposed over its body. They also distinguished themselves with t-shirts depicting "Men at Work" and hard hats to represent their satellite repair assignment.

STS-41C was a busy mission, the most complex and challenging ever flown as of that date. Their extensive checklist included the following:

1. Deploying the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a 12-sided cylinder of about 30 feet long that carried 57 experiments by researchers in 8 countries. It would be retrieved on a later flight.

2. The first and foremost objective of capturing, repairing, and re-deploying the malfunctioning Solar Max satellite that was launched in 1980.

3. Administering a student experiment with honeybees to see how they make honeycomb cells in a microgravity environment.


Traditional exit from the crew quarters to the "AstroVan" for the 11-mile trip to the launch pad.


Dick Scobee with Commander Crippen on Challenger's flight deck.


The crew of 41C poses in jubilation after their daunting repair of the Solar Max satellite.


A deeply focused Dick Scobee in zero G.


Mission accomplished!

The capturing of the Solar Max proved to be such a chore that it appeared for a while as though the crew had not escaped the #13 curse, even though they were ultimately the 11th to launch. Pinky Nelson flew the MMU out to the satellite and attempted to grasp it as planned, but after three attempts, the Solar Max began tumbling on multiple axes. Disappointed and anxious, Commander Crippen called off the effort.

NASA's Goddard Space Center took control of Solar Max during the night by sending commands to stabilize the tumbling into a slow, regular spin. With the spacewalk effort proven futile, Dick, along with Commander Crippen, maneuvered Challenger back to the Solar Max so that fellow mission specialist TJ Hart could grapple it with the shuttle's robotic arm and place it on a cradle in the payload bay. Pinky Nelson, along with third mission specialist Jim "Ox" van Hoften then repaired the broken satellite and deployed it back into orbit. Still a mechanic at heart, Dick insisted that the crew wear signs bearing the words, "Ace Satellite Repair Co." for a photo opportunity. They also documented parts of their journey with a big IMAX camera to help create the IMAX film, "The Dream is Alive."

After seven days, the crew landed at Edwards Air Force Base, rather than KSC as originally planned, because of bad weather.

Once home in Houston, Dick opted to surpass the barrage of reporters gathered outside of his house and slip away with June to their favorite restaurant on the lake; he wanted her to be the first to know about his adventure. He spoke of eating and sleeping in zero-gravity, watching the honey bees, and the metallic noises from inside the orbiter. And though his feet by now were firmly on the ground, his mind was -- at least partially -- still among the stars. The couple took a selfie (before selfies were a thing) to celebrate the occasion. Dick, thinking he was still in space, simply let go of the camera afterward instead of setting it down. He also kept tucking his napkin underneath his dinner plate, afraid that it might float away.

Though his wife was mesmerized by his enthusiasm, she remained curious about one thing: was Dick at all angered when President Reagan called to the crew to congratulate them and mentioned everyone's name but his? Dick insisted that he was not. "What was important was the mission," he said, "we got the job done! That's all that mattered. We had a great mission."



The post-flight press conference for STS-41C with video footage of mission highlights. In the beginning, Dick Scobee likens early stages of the launch to being on a "rough railroad track," perhaps as a nod to his railroad engineer father.

What Dick Scobee had accomplished was any pilot's dream. His biggest accomplishment, however, remained his family. When his daughter Kathie graduated from college that summer, her university's president invited Dick to give the commencement speech. Although he had never sought out speaking engagements, his soft heart for his daughter prompted him to make an exception. Kathie had graduated with a degree in English and journalism and Dick was impressed by her "tremendous talent" for writing, and equally encouraging towards the endeavors of his son Rich, a budding pilot himself now in his second year at the Air Force Academy. "Son, you are a great pilot," he told him. "Your instincts are good. You're already a better pilot than I'll ever be."
https://discover.hubpages.com/education/Remembering-Challenger-Commander-Dick-Scobee-Part-2-Sky-Challenger

Meet NG-21: the S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee

https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/nasa-commercial-resupply-mission-ng-21

[Orionid]

SA300: 300 San Antonians: Francis 'Dick' Scobee


Remarks at the Memorial Service for the Crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger in Houston, Texas
January 31, 1986

(...) Dick Scobee knew that every launching of a space shuttle is a technological miracle. And he said, ``If something ever does go wrong, I hope that doesn't mean the end to the space shuttle program.'' Every family member I talked to asked specifically that we continue the program, that that is what their departed loved one would want above all else. We will not disappoint them. Today we promise Dick Scobee and his crew that their dream lives on, that the future they worked so hard to build will become reality. The dedicated men and women of NASA have lost seven members of their family. Still, they, too, must forge ahead with a space program that is effective, safe, and efficient, but bold and committed. Man will continue his conquest of space. To reach out for new goals and ever greater achievements -- that is the way we shall commemorate our seven Challenger heroes. (...)
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-memorial-service-crew-space-shuttle-challenger-houston-texas

Astronaut Buried in Arlington Rite
By Lee Hockstader May 19, 1986 at 8:00 p.m. EDT

Without horse-drawn caisson or elaborate tombstone, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, the commander of the space shuttle Challenger, was buried on his birthday yesterday in a service at Arlington National Cemetery as low-key as his life.

Scobee's wife, June, knelt and placed a red rose against the simple tombstone, just paces from the graves of three servicemen who died trying to rescue the American hostages in Iran.

Scobee, a retired Air Force officer who would have been 47 yesterday, was buried with military honors three months and 22 days after Challenger exploded, killing its crew of seven. His midmorning funeral, under a crystal-blue sky, came two weeks after services at Arlington for Challenger pilot Michael J. Smith, the space shuttle's second-in-command.

Teacher Christa McAuliffe and Ronald E. McNair also were buried earlier this month, and the ashes of Gregory B. Jarvis were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. Ellison S. Onizuka will be buried in the next few weeks in his home state of Hawaii. Judith A. Resnik's family has not announced any burial plans.

More than a hundred friends, relatives and colleagues, arranged in a wide semicircle around the grave, attended the 18-minute ceremony for Scobee, a former airplane mechanic from Cle Elum, Wash., who worked his way into an officers' training program and pilot school.

The ceremony followed a private chapel service in which "The Impossible Dream" and "High Flight" were sung, and Scobee was eulogized by astronaut Norm Thagart.

At the graveside, a bouquet of brilliant yellow roses from his fellow astronauts and a wreath of carnations and lilacs from President and Mrs. Reagan adorned the tomb, into which Scobee's remains had been placed early yesterday morning before the service.

The tombstone, on which was etched the wings of an Air Force astronaut, also will bear the epitaph: "A modest man, a faithful friend, a private man who loved his family dearly and contributed mightily to his country's air and space effort." Although the tombstone listed his rank as lieutenant colonel, the Air Force said its records listed him one rank lower as a retired major.

A soft breeze blew in the morning's gathering heat as the U.S. Air Force Band from Bolling Air Force Base played hymns and June Scobee clasped the hands of her children, Kathie Scobee Krause and Richard Scobee, their fingers intertwined.

After a brief sermon, inaudible to many because of the roar of jets at nearby National Airport, a seven-man Air Force honor guard fired three volleys, and a lone bugler under a tree on the hillside played a warbling taps.

Scobee, a down-to-earth, hard-working man who was uniformly well liked by those with whom he worked, was an anomaly in the astronaut corps. Chosen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration close to his 40th birthday, he was one of the oldest men to become an astronaut, and one of the few to have started his career as an enlisted man.

Except for the attention heaped on him by the media and the public, Scobee loved his job, and accepted its risks. "When you find something you really like to do and you're willing to risk the consequences of that," he once said, "you really probably ought to go do it."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/05/20/astronaut-buried-in-arlington-rite/411c0ef8-9f53-4ffd-8942-3212b33d6556/