William Cameron McCool

Infobox Astronaut
name =William Cameron "Willie" McCool

---

type =Astronaut
nationality =American
status =Deceased
date_birth =September 23, 1961
date_death =February 1, 2003 (aged 41)
place_birth =San Diego, California
place_death =Over Texas
previous_occupation =Test Pilot
rank =Commander, USN
selection =1996 NASA Group
time =15d 22h 20m
mission =STS-107
insignia =|

William Cameron "Willie" McCool (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the Space Shuttle pilot of "Columbia" mission STS-107. He was killed when the craft disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Personal data

McCool was born 23 September 1961 in San Diego, California, and died on 1 February 2003 over the southern United States when Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew perished during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing. He is survived by his wife and children. He enjoyed running, mountain biking, back country hiking/camping, swimming, playing guitar, and chess.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 also played by mission control as a wake-up call. McCool is buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.

Education

* 1979: Graduated from Coronado High School, Lubbock, Texas
* 1983: Received a bachelor of science degree in applied science from the US Naval Academy
* 1985: Received a master of science degree in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park
* 1992: Received a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1992.

Organizations

* U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

Awards

* Posthumously awarded the NASA Space Flight Medal
* the NASA Distinguished Service Medal
* the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM)
* the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
* Posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal from the U.S. Navy

pecial honors

* Eagle Scoutcite book | last = Townley | first = Alvin | authorlink = | coauthors = | origdate= 2006-12-26 |url= http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com/TD_TitleDetail.aspx?ISBN=0312366531| title = Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts | publisher = St. Martin's Press| location = New York | pages =pp. 79| id = ISBN 0-312-36653-1 |accessdate= 2006-12-29]
* Served as team captain of the US Naval Academy Cross Country team his senior year
* Graduated second of 1,083 in the Class of 1983 at the US Naval Academy
* Presented “Outstanding Student” and “Best DT-II Thesis” awards as graduate of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Class 101
* Awarded Navy Commendation Medal (2)
* Awarded Navy Achievement Medal (2)

Tributes

* Asteroid 51829 Williemccool was posthumously named for McCool
* McCool Hill in the Columbia Hills on Mars was posthumously named for McCool
* McCool Hall, in the Columbia Village apartments, at the Florida Institute of Technology is named after him.
* Guam South Elementary/Middle School, a DODEA school in Santa Rita, Guam, was renamed CDR William C. McCool Elementary/Middle School on August 29, 2003.
* Willie McCool Track and Field at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas, was posthumously named for McCool.
* Willie McCool Memorial dedicated on Saturday, May 7, 2005 at Huneke Park at 82nd and Quaker Avenue in Lubbock, Texas.
* The William McCool Science Center, located on the campus of the Frank Lamping Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada, is a facility where elementary students throughout the Clark County School District have an opportunity to learn about space and other fields of science.
* A Gawad Kalinga village in Moncada, Tarlac, Philippines, will be named "USN Commander Willie McCool GK Village". [http://gawadkalinga.org/gk_heroes/gk_heroes_view.php?id=0607-001]
* In the Star Trek book "Mirror Universe - Glass Empires," the shuttlecraft of the "U.S.S. Defiant" in the short story "Age of the Empress" is named the "McCool."
* McCool Field at Officer Training Command-Newport, Newport Rhode Island is named after him.
* The Willie McCool Monument was dedicated on December 2, 2007 at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Course. The monument stands where Willie would have been 16 minutes from the finish line during his fastest race on Navy's home course.
* Willie McCool Memorial Air Field located in North Las Vegas, Nevada was posthumously named for McCool on October 23, 2004. [http://www.viewnews.com/2004/VIEW-Nov-03-Wed-2004/North/25102536.html]

Experience

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. 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 (CVN-65)". 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.

McCool accumulated over 2,800 hours flight experience in 24 aircraft and over 400 carrier arrestments.

NASA experience

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.

pace flight experience

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 1 February 2003 when Space Shuttle "Columbia" and her crew perished during entry, 16 minutes before scheduled landing.

ee also

* Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
* Space science

Quote

* "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."

References

* [http://parks.ci.lubbock.tx.us/Willie%20McCool%20Memorial.htm Willie McCool Memorial: Lubbock, Texas.]
* [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mccool.html NASA biography]
* [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-107/memorial/mccool.html William McCool STS-107 Crew Memorial]
* [http://www.floridatoday.com/columbia/columbiastory2N1029TECH.htm Florida Today - Florida Tech dedicates dorms to Columbia 7 - October 29, 2003]
* [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/mccool_william.htm Spacefacts biography of William C. McCool]