| William Cameron "Willie" McCool | |
|---|---|
| NASA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | American |
| Status | Deceased (STS-107) |
| Born | September 23, 1961 San Diego, California |
| Died | February 1, 2003 (aged 41) Over Texas |
| Previous occupation | Test pilot |
| Rank | Commander, USN |
| Time in space | 15d 22h 20m |
| Selection | 1996 NASA Group |
| Missions | STS-107 |
| Mission insignia | |
William Cameron "Willie" McCool (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He was killed, along with all others, when their spacecraft disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.[1][2]
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McCool was born September 23, 1961, in San Diego, California, and died on February 1, 2003, over the southern United States when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing. He was survived by his wife and children. He enjoyed running, mountain biking, back country hiking/camping, swimming, playing guitar, and chess, and had a home in Anacortes, Washington, at the time of his death.[3]
His favorite song was "Imagine" by John Lennon, which was played during the space mission. His favorite band was Radiohead, and the song "Fake Plastic Trees" was played by mission control as a wake-up call. McCool is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.[2]
McCool completed flight training in August 1986 and was assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 129 at Whidbey Island, Washington, for initial EA-6B Prowler training. His first operational tour was with Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 133, where he made two deployments aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43) to the Mediterranean Sea, and received designation as a wing qualified landing signal officer (LSO). In November 1989, he was selected for the Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School (TPS) Cooperative Education Program.[1]
After graduating from TPS in June 1992, he worked as TA-4J and EA-6B test pilot in Flight Systems Department of Strike Aircraft Test Directorate at Patuxent River, Maryland. He was responsible for the management and conduct of a wide variety of projects, ranging from airframe fatigue life studies to numerous avionics upgrades. His primary efforts, however, were dedicated to flight test of the Advanced Capability (ADVCAP) EA-6B. Following his Patuxent River tour, McCool returned to Whidbey Island, and was assigned to Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 132 aboard USS Enterprise. He served as Administrative and Operations Officer with the squadron through their work-up cycle, receiving notice of NASA selection while embarked on Enterprise for her final pre-deployment at-sea period.[1]
McCool accumulated over 2,800 hours flight experience in 24 aircraft and over 400 carrier arrestments.
Selected by NASA in April 1996, McCool reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. He completed two years of training and evaluation, and was qualified for flight assignment as a pilot. Initially assigned to the Computer Support Branch, McCool also served as Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Crew Operations, and worked Shuttle cockpit upgrade issues for the Astronaut Office. He was the pilot on STS-107, logging 15 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes in space.
STS-107 Columbia (January 16 to February 1, 2003). The 16-day flight was a dedicated science and research mission. Working 24 hours a day, in two alternating shifts, the crew successfully conducted approximately 80 experiments. The STS-107 mission ended abruptly on February 1, 2003, when Columbia and her crew perished during entry, 16 minutes before scheduled landing.
| “ | From our orbital vantage point, we observe an earth without borders, full of peace, beauty and magnificence, and we pray that humanity as a whole can imagine a borderless world as we see it and strive to live as one in peace. | ” |
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—William Cameron McCool |
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