The commander of the ill-fated flight of space shuttle Challenger is being remembered 40 years after his first spaceflight with a commercial spacecraft bearing his name.
NASA astronaut Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, who flew twice on Challenger — first as its pilot in 1984 and then as commander two years later — is the namesake for Northrop Grumman's 21st cargo vehicle.
"For every commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station, we name our Cygnus spacecraft after a pioneer in human spaceflight. Today, it is my honor to announce the naming of the Cygnus cargo spacecraft that will be used in the upcoming NG-21 mission to the International Space Station for Francis Richard Scobee, former astronaut, pilot and engineer," said Brandon White, vice president and general manager of tactical space systems at Northrop Grumman, in a video statement released by the company on Monday (July 1).
