12. McNair was selected again for the STS-51L mission of the Challenger in 1985
After the success of mission STS 41-B, NASA selected Ronald for STS 51-L. With 6 other astronauts, the Challenger was scheduled for take-off in January 1986. STS 51-L, the 25th US space shuttle mission, aimed to launch more satellites and monitor Halley’s Comet. Alongside his Jean-Michel Jarre collaboration, Ronald again had responsibility for experiments on board. The mission was Challenger‘s tenth, and Ronald was hugely excited about another foray into orbit. Bad weather and problems with the exterior access hatch delayed the planned January 22, 1986 launch. Eventually, Ronald and his fellow astronauts prepared for launch on January, 28…