The theme to the flight STS-51-L seemed to be to connect Christa McAuliffe to my graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. There is also the connection to Apollo 17, which I believe is to reflect that she was 17 years old during my first year of college, which I started at the age of 6.5 years. There is also the notion that I spent my entire 17th year in deep space.
Resnik was 33 years, 3.59 weeks, old on 4/30/82. I'm not entirely certain what happened on 4/30/82, but I am reasonably certain that was the day I received my officer's commission from the U.S. Naval Academy.
Dr. Judith Arlene Resnik (April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died at the age of 36 in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster during the launch of the mission STS-51-L.
He was 33.59 years on 12/19/72, the day Apollo 17 returned to Earth.
Francis Richard "Dick" Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.
He was 35.9 years on 5/28/82. I am not certain what that date is, but it might be the official graduation date of the USNA Class of 1982, although I graduated a month earlier. I would have been 23.23 years on 5/28/82 and that seems interesting because "Captain Picard" started at "Starfleet Academy" in the year 2323, according to sources about the fictional character.
Ellison Shoji Onizuka (June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was a Japanese-American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawai'i who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as mission specialist on mission STS-51-L.
