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1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 21-Oct-2023 14:02:16 UTC Robert McNees

   Physicist and astronaut Ronald McNair was born #OTD in 1950. He spent about 8 days in space aboard Challenger in 1984 during STS-41-B. McNair was one of the seven crew members who lost their lives in the 1986 Challenger disaster.

   Image: NASA

   • Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 21-Oct-2023 14:07:19 UTC Robert McNees

     in reply to

     Take a minute to watch this animated StoryCorps short, narrated by McNair's older brother Carl, about a 9yo Ronald McNair visiting his home town’s then-segregated library.

     Near the end, he also talks about the impact that "Star Trek" had on McNair.

     https://youtu.be/okF5UGpivR8?si=ikrcLwPkyBYEb2nP

   • Sir David Nielsen (davidnielsen@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 21-Oct-2023 18:34:51 UTC Sir David Nielsen

     in reply to

     @mcnees he was also an accomplished saxophonist and was supposed to play a piece live from space, as part of Electronica pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre’s Houston concert.

   • Will (willa763@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 21-Oct-2023 18:45:17 UTC Will

     in reply to

     @mcnees I remember the Challenger like yesterday. RIP, Dr. McNair.