SC H4987

Commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986, which killed all seven crew members 73 seconds after launch at 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean

Honors South Carolina native Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair, born October 21, 1950 in Lake City, who was among the crew and was the second African American to fly in space

Dr. McNair earned a bachelor's degree in physics magna cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University (1971) and a doctorate in physics from MIT (1976), and was selected from 10,000 applicants for NASA's astronaut program in 1978

Notes that the disaster caused a 32-month halt to the Space Shuttle program and led to the Rogers Commission investigation, which found NASA ignored known O-ring defects and engineers' warnings about launching in low temperatures

Recognizes the annual designation of October 21 as "Ronald McNair Day" in South Carolina, established by 2018 Act No. 141