South Carolina boasts a strong connection to the shuttle program. At least six NASA shuttle astronauts have state ties, ranging from Ronald E. McNair of Lake City, who died in the 1986 Challenger explosion, to current NASA administrator Charles Bolden of Columbia, pilot of the mission that launched the Hubble Space Telescope. Both are black and were born and raised in segregation.
Beyond providing astronauts, though, there’s bad news on the horizon as the state is losing one of its chosen paths to the skies.
For three decades, experiments run by South Carolina researchers had ready shuttle access beyond Earth’s gravity. They include about 30 programs run by the University of South Carolina and 35 more by Clemson University. Even tiny Claflin University was in the mix, with four of its projects sent into orbit.
Charlie Bolden is a superb leader. He was one of our First Classmen at the Naval Academy. His speech to the Brigagde when Dr. King was murdered was inspiring.
My classmate Frank Culbertson was also from SC. Our class set the record for most astronauts from any one school’s class: four, including current director of the Kennedy Space Center, Bob Cabana. USNA ’71 – Duces Virum. We have our 40th reunion this fall.