William C. McCool
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William C. McCool | |
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Born | (1961-09-23)September 23, 1961 San Diego, California, U.S. |
Died | February 1, 2003(2003-02-01) (aged 41) Over Texas, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Other names | William Cameron McCool |
Alma mater | USNA, B.S. 1983 UMCP, M.S. 1985 NPS, M.S. 1992 |
Awards | |
Space career | |
NASA Astronaut | |
Previous occupation | Naval aviator, test pilot |
Rank | Commander, USN |
Time in space | 15d 22h 20m |
Selection | 1996 NASA Group 16 |
Missions | STS-107 |
Mission insignia | |
William Cameron "Willie" McCool (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) (Cmdr, USN) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut.
He was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into the atmosphere.[1][2] He was the youngest male member of the crew. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.