Pilot(Beaufort, N.C.)
Smith, a 40-year-old Navy commander, was a decorated Vietnam veteran who had been an astronaut since 1980.
An Annapolis graduate, Smith held a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
He flew A-6 Intruders and completed a Vietnam cruise while assigned to an attack squadron aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. He was awarded the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals and other military decorations, including the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.
Smith and his wife, Jane, had three children: Scott, Alison and Erin.