- [Announcer] A production of the South Carolina Educational Television Network.

- [NASA Personnel] 4.3 nautical Down range distance, three nauti Engines throttling up.

Three engine now at 104% - Challenger, go with throttle up.

- Challenger going with throttle up.

- [NASA Personnel] One minute, 1 Velocity, 2,900 feet per second nine nautical miles.

Down range distance, seven nauti - This morning over the Atlantic over Cape Canaveral, Space Shuttle Challenger's trage which has affected all of America and South Carolina.

And on that flight, Michael Smith, born in South Carolina and Ronald E. McNair, 35 years o a brilliant physicist with a doctorate from MIT, husband, father of a three-year- and one and a half-year-old daug Ron McNair, graduate of Carver H in Lake City, South Carolina, dead in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger this morning over the Atlantic O Good evening, this is a special of "Carolina Journal," dedicated to Ron McNair, primari South Carolina's firs astronaut to fly on the shuttle and only the second South Carolinian to fly in space.

Charles Duke from Lancaster was landing on the moon in 1972.

Ron McNair epitomized the excell of America's Space Corps, and let me spend a few minutes to tell you why.

He went to South Carolina's Publ in the North Carolina A & T stat earning a bachelor of science in His doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, was awarded in 1976.

He was a Ford Foundatio fellow, a presidential scholar, a National Fellowship Fund fellow, a NATO fellow, and winner of five regiona black belt karate championships.

That was one of his hobbies.

At MIT, McNair performed some of the earliest development of chemical and high pressure la Dr. McNair studied more on lasers in France.

After MIT, he worked as a staff with Hughes Research Labs in Cal He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in January, 1978.

In August, 1979, he completed a one year training and evaluation period and served as a mission specialist on Shuttle 41-B, which left Kennedy on February 3 He was aboard of the Shuttle Cha which was his craft today.

Dr. McNair's flight successfully at that time in 1984 deployed two satellites, and he personally operated the r which reaches into the cargo bay to move objects around.

That flight was the first to land back on Earth at the Kennedy Space Center.

On his return, Dr. McNair spoke to a joint assembly, and we'll show you some of that a little bit later.

He was introduced by Governor Riley at that time, and on his return, he bega training for his next mission.

Dr. Ron McNair, astronaut, South Carolinian.

What does this mean to the people of Lake City, his hometown where he grew up?

Lake City, the largest town in Lower Florence County where his mother Pearl McNair li South Carolina ETV Sumter Statio went to Lake City thi afternoon and has this report.

- [Vivian] Ron McNair's hometown of Lake City is in shock.

We spoke to Mayor Carlton Gaskin - Well, it was, I guess, a little bit of complacency on my part, and I'm sure a lot o have a tendency to feel this way after a string of successes that this program has had.

I hadn't even considered that as a possibility.

It was just a complete surprise and I might say a devastating piece of news for me.

We were not expecting anything of this nature and was looking forward to another successful flight.

- [Vivian] In your opinion, do you think this will affect the NASA program?

- I don't definitely.

Definitely don't think it'll affect it in an adverse way.

I think it'll make thos people a little more determined to continue with the program and to get the bugs, whatever they are, out of it.

- [Vivian] As far as Ronald McNair is concerned, what does Lake City plan to do in memory of Mr. McNair?

- Well, we certainly are going to get the committee together that were so active and fateful in forming the Welcome Home Comm the program for Dr. McNair, and we will be looking forward to their plans and recommendations and whatever they decide to do.

I certainly will go along with i - [Vivian] Longtime frien and elementary school teacher, Wilford Barr, spoke of his close association with Ron McNair.

- We were classmates throughout from elementary up through high and whenever we came back home, we always get together and just and talk about some of the things he was doing with the program, the space prog He always brought us up to date with the new techniques that wer well, as much as he could tell u about the new space programs.

And we were just close friends.

- [Vivian] I was told that you were with him the last time he was in Lake Cit when they had the parade for him How was his attitude about being an astronaut then?

- Okay, and during his last... Well, during the time we had the parade for Mr. McNair, I picked him up in Columbia and we rode through Orangeburg, and they had a program that Claflin University for him.

And during this time, he was sti from his space trip, and he said that on a space ride that it's an experience that, yo there are no words to explain th that you get out in outer space.

So you know, it's just feeling that you can't explain.

You know, those were the words that he used once you start talking about it.

And he always had something.

He always had good words to say about the space program.

It was something that he really enjoyed doing.

- [Vivian] Pittmon C. Lemmon was at Carver High, the school McNair attended.

- I was in the den area when I heard it on the TV, and, of course, I was a bit baff and wondered, was I listening to the right news?

And of course, it kept coming, repeating itself.

Then I became aware of the fact that it was he and the other six - [Vivian] How well did you know - Very well, very well.

Very enthusiastic type of person Very studious and very brilliant and very, very down to earth.

- [Vivian] Did you think he woul this type of success?

- It was possible with the type of brains he had and the type of individual he wa He wanted to be the best of ever He graduated in the class of about 175, as I remember it, as valedictorian of the class of He was very ambitious on he felt that the world, if it could be c he wanted to be a part of that - From Lake City for "Carolina Journal," I'm Vivian Lucas.

- Thanks to Vivian Lucas, the reporter on that, and Bruce Mayer who shot that, and Jim Bernard from Sumter who in preparation of that report from Lake City.

Thanks to WRJA.

With me in the studio is a mothe of South Carolina's last astronaut to fly in space.

Ethel Bolden is the retired libr W.A.

Perry Junior High School, and she's the mother of Charles who flew earlier this month on the shuttle mission that was delayed several times and flew successfully.

Sheila Johnson-Chaney from our s with the Boldens in Houston, and Jackie Bolden said to thank from South Carolina who called and have their prayers for the NASA families.

At this time, NASA astronauts have been asked to not make any public statement but they do thank us in South Ca for the prayers of this state for the NASA families.

Ms. Bolden, this is certainly not an easy time for anybody, but as a mother of an astronaut and a man who's gone up thi month on the previous mission, what do you have to say about th How has this affected you?

I'm sure it was a shock.

- This has been a long day, a terrible day for me, but I rest assure of the fact th who are involved in this program are fully committed to it, and they know that there is an element of risk.

They're fully aware of this.

That doesn't take away the pain and the hurt of the families that they leave - But they go into it knowing th but with an enthusiasm that Ron in a piece will see in a few min and certainly your son has shown When you saw his flight go up, what were you thinking?

- At the time, I was thinking that this is something that he wanted very badly.

He's always wanted to do something for mankind.

He does it when he's at work, and he does it when he is on his And I just know that if this is what he wants to do, it's his choice, and I'm must go along with it with this little...

I'm concerned, but I'm not reall I know that there is a power greater than we are, and that whatever is, that's it.

- As far as your son and hi future with the space program, does this affect how you feel about his being part of it?

- I'm not able to say what Charles is thinking now, but knowing him, as I think I do I believe he will continue to do what he's doing because he feels that he's a par well, the age of exploration of and he's giving what he has to give to his country and who knows to the health of mankind maybe.

- As a final question, what woul to the friends of Ron McNair throughout South Carolina and hi - To the friends of Ron McNair and his family, I would say, I'm sure yo have a deep and abiding faith.

Ron did not suffer.

I'm sure he did not.

This was so quick.

And Ron probably considered many times the risk that he was taking.

And rest assured that there will in these United States who will pick up the torch from him and will go on.

God reveals his universe to us through men.

He has no other way to do this.

And so there are those who must - Ms. Ethel Bolden, thank you for being with us.

I know it's a a difficult time f And Ron McNair made several trips to South Carolina after his first flight into spac but that was part of the story o For some background on Ron McNai let's take a look at this and on the space program.

From the very beginnings of America's space program, there were risks associated with venturing into the unknown.

When the first American satellite went aloft on Jupiter-C, it had followed a of aborts and pad explosions.

When the Mercury Seven astronauts were chosen, Americans began the proud and courageous path to space.

During the Mercury and Gemini pr there were no accidents.

Although, Virgil Gus Grissom nearly drowned before being plucked out of the from his Mercury flight.

In 1967, Grissom died along with two other crew members on the pad at Kennedy Space Cent A fire swept through the capsule as the three were completing pre-flight checks.

The three astronauts were buried at Arlington National Cemetery n from the graves of John and Robert Kennedy.

The Apollo program was delayed 1 as NASA worked to correct faults in the craft.

NASA continued the process of ta to the moon, and Apollo did that The moon flight succeeded without any casualties.

The Space Lab program and the joint US USSR missions were successful.

The American Space Shuttle progr replaced those earlier efforts o Gemini, and Apollo with an ambit to build four shuttles which would fly from Earth to space and return until the end of the During training for shuttle miss there is constant attention to s Here South Carolina ETV's Domino and Sheila Chaney watch a training exercise in putting out a ground fire.

ETV's crew went with NASA traine to examine safety features in a shuttle mockup at the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, Texas.

While South Carolina ETV's crew completed work at the shuttle mockup in prepara for a program on Columbia astronaut Charles Bolden, Ron McNair and his wife, Cheryl, took a friend through the shuttl Bolden flew on the last shuttle mission earlier this month.

During this time, McNair was in for today's mission.

McNair's earlier flight in Febru was aboard the Shuttle Challenge It was that shuttle which blew u Last year, Ron McNair visited Columbia, South Carolina after his flight, and ETV's "Jobman Caravan" did a piece on Dr. McNair.

McNair was asked, what was it like to be in space?

- No.

No words.

I'm sorry, there just aren't any words.

(laughs) (audience laughs) There just aren't any words.

It's completely somehow other wo in that things do not happen the that they happen in this world.

If you drop something, you have to pick it up here.

If you drop something, you simply reacquire it there.

If you wanna go someplace here, you look and you walk.

If you wanna go someplace there, you simply push with your little and you float, simply fly.

So things are so very different.

Even looking out at the Earth, I kind of believe that the blacks are blacker, the blues are bluer, the whites are whiter.

Everything is very brilliant.

Sunrises in a matter of a few se and set just as fast.

Beautiful colors, quiet, peacefu and the whole experience of watching continents pass by the same way you normally watch cities go by is mindboggling.

- [Reporter] You look forward to your next trip?

- Absolutely.

More so than the first.

- You mentioned earlier in the press conference that you wrote in junior high school a paper of some sort, and was that the beginning of you realizing that you wanted to be an astrona - No, that was not, but let me back up a little further.

I was involved in practically everything under the sun and very, very genuinely interes in participating in any number o The first exposure I got to spac was the first exposure anybody got in this country, and that was the first launch of the Russian Sputnik and the first launch of the US Man in Space program, the Mercury mission.

I was glued in front of a TV every space mission that's ever just outta general interest, but I wasn't the only one.

There were others.

So space was somewhat of a...

Flying in space was a fantasy that everybody had.

Everybody wanted to see themselv well, most kids wanted to see th floating around the moon and doing the type of things you saw on TV and so did I, but it was only a fantasy.

Now, as a junior in high school, I had by that time identified that I wanted to pursue a career in something that combined mathematics and sc I loved them very much, and I didn't want to go one way or the other.

And I don't know how, but I identified physics, didn't know what it was, but identified physics as possibly doing that.

So I had had to write a paper on what would I be doing 10 years from now, and I wrote that I would be have my PhD in physics in 10 years and will have made significant contributions to sci - You were elaborating on basically what I'm trying to get at is that you do somethi that most people feel is so far from their capabilities.

Is that true?

Is that a correct assessment, or is what you do just like any but it's more specialized?

- Well, what I do is not far removed from the capabilities of many, but by the same token, what I do is not just like any other job, okay?

What I do is only the privilege of a very few.

If you look at the overall, there just aren't that many plots for people, and it does require a unique type of background.

I wouldn't say unique type of ba a scientific background and to have done well.

I don't mean all As and to being in the books all your life, but it does require versatility.

These people, athletes, persons who can handl themselves in a public situation such as this are individual who can deal with other people because you're living in a comparatively tight quarters with people over an extended period of time.

So it does require a number of a beyond the academic, but the academic is certainly a central part of it.

- [Tom] After his shuttle missio Dr. McNair addressed a joint assembly of the House and Senate at the State House in Governor Dick Riley introduced h - I would like to think there are students today in our public schools who could follow in Ron McNair's giant footprints if they themselves received the encouragement and the tools to pursue educational excellence and if they will only follow his of constant struggle for self-im and, yes, of ultimate success.

- [Tom] Governor Riley awarded M the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest award.

McNair then addressed the assemb describing the launch of the shu - We got down to about six minut The auxiliary power units were f and you're gonna hear this littl and vibration inside the spacecr And I said, "Hmm, that's such something different.

That doesn't happen in the simul Well the countdown continued, and we got down around four minu and the hydraulic system started to gimbal the main engines just to test them, and the whole thing started to reel and rock.

Said, "This isn't the simulator.

(audience laughs) But still not being thoroughly c we got down to about four seconds prior to liftoff when the main engines began to throttle up to 100%.

All of a sudden, the vibration s like I've never seen before.

The countdown continued, three, At T minus zero, I got a boot like I've never felt.

And the vibration simply shook e and bolt in the whole place.

And that 404 million vehicle literally lurched, leaped off of the launch pad, and we were on our way.

It was a great ride, very gratifying, no tensions or anxiety associated with the e And I can do that all day every day for a month.

It was great going up and coming - [Tom] Dr. McNair, following the joint assembly later in the summer, received an honorary doctorate at the University of South Carol - And 28 times at 17,500 miles p aboard the Rolls Royce o space flight is one experience, but to come home amidst warmth and appreciation is a experience of equal magnitude.

I shall eternally be grateful for this recognition.

I'm sure Charles Bolden and Char would agree with me and tell you the road between South Carolina and space flight is not a very s nor is it one filled with guaran In fact, the only guarantees to be found are those that reside in the unchallenged of one's own determination.

The true courage of space flight is not striping into one seat prior to liftoff.

It is not sitting aboard six million pounds of fire and thunder as one rocket has sailed away from the planet.

But the true courage comes in en and, as Colonel Bolder said, persevering the preparation and believing in oneself.

- Thanks to the University of South Carolina for that final clip and again to "Jobman Caravan" Ad for that clip earlier in the pie With me is Dr. LeConte Cathey, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of South Carolina, a man who's been in this program a number of times when we've talked about space and space travel.

It's a difficult thing.

Ethel Bolden said it, I think, v earlier in the program that this is an era of explorati and there are risks.

- This is always true.

I was discussing with a class to about the first employment of multi-tiered cannon on ships, and the English built this large with multi-tiered cannon an they forgot about this medicine or the ship and it rolled over a This is just an illustration of that advances and there are haza It's implicit in the system.

The people that first made nitrocellulose gunpowder, it was unstable.

They didn't know how to put the modifiers in it and they blew up cannons and pistols and everything else.

They persevered.

- It wasn't in the the televisio for the entire world to see.

Does this change how people explore the unknown, how we continue space?

Those earlier explorers were all by themselves and there wasn't an instant replay.

- No, wait.

(chuckles) You think they were by themselve The problem is the whole society was behind them.

Take, as they talked about Francis Drake today on the TV and Cortez and other people like that, explorers, even our explorers here, Daniel Boone and people like that, they had a home base where there was a society psychologically supporting their and this is at the moment the edge of scientific effort that to my mind signifies man's most noble endeavor.

Here we are on the surface of th We've (chuckles) raised ourselve to a state of sophistication now where people can see us instanta as we converse here.

We should carry this forward because there are more globes to and out in space or as the man d right on the television, there is no gravity.

We can make crystal structures we have only dreamed of.

We can make nylon fabrics and other things without imperfe There are all kinds of drugs can be synthesized out there we can't synthesize here 'cause we can't suspend the molecular components.

In other words, there are all types of scientific endeavors that can be done in the zero of that exists in a satellite as he was describing, we can't do on the surface of th Now, a lot of these are curiosit but then the applications of eve it's like the fella that invented a pitchfork that didn't have any tines on it and they says, "Well, what's tha He says, "Well, that's to put the ground and stand and lean on so my wife will thin I'm really working in the garden So you see, even thoug inventions look rather strange, they all wind up to have some application someplace.

- What do you think this will mean for the program?

When the Apollo fire in 1967 occ it set that program back.

They held it back for 18 months, revising the Apollo craft, putting in additional safety mea The time in this flight is the most critical time in the flight as far as the safe - Well, yes.

- What will it do to the space program?

- I doubt it will do anything.

You see at the moment, we have a tremendous impetus.

Everybody keeps talking about th The main thrust here is the positioning of satellite so that as we converse, we can even be seen in Australia South America, Europe, all over if a person wished to.

Merely by focusing on a dish on the satellite out here, he can see what's going on.

This particular informatio explosion is going to continue.

Now, we are using video communic The next edge after that is comp or digital communication, and all that everybody's seeing now in an analog form will very shortly be digitized and the noise will go away and subliminally in there can be all types of additional t - Well, this and we have about a minute left, the event today, the tragedy, does this help to...

It's got to shake the complacenc out of ordinary Americans because anybody connected with the space program says yes, there is risk every time we do this.

Every time we do this, it's not the risk is taken out of, but it was to the point where the networks weren' even covering liftoffs anymore.

- The risk is there.

The risk is there.

It cannot be obviated.

The thing that has to be done is the pre-flight check procedur have to be improved or else certain interlocks or whatever to monitor th fuel setup had to be improved.

In other words, the word to improve is there.

In this case, as the pilot moved to full throttle, it blew up.

That's the key thing.

It put tremendous stresses on all of those components.

He was given the authority full throttle, bang.

And that's the clue.

We're gonna have to find out wha in the instrumentation.

- Dr. Cathey, thank you, LeConte Our camera went to the streets of Columbia today, Columbia, South Carolina, to find out what people think of this and how they heard.

- It's the first I heard.

I'm sorry to hear it.

Are you sure?

(chuckles) - It's just really shocking.

I mean, I just can't believe it.

It left me speechless.

- I'm sorry to hear about it, yo and all those are intelligent as you know, lives sacrificed.

- Probably give Walte (indistinct) another second chan you know, thinking abou taking this trip with.

(laughs) - I don't think they should...

I think they should just stick with the astronauts and wait 'til they have their pr you know, get all the bugs worke - It scared me I mean, just hearing, I felt sorry for the families and people who are in the shuttl And right now don't really wanna be an astronaut.

(chuckles) - I think they gone through a lo They've lost their seve lives, and that's a bad thing.

- I guess people are just right now tarnishing whether it will affect the NASA project or not.

Somehow it will be affected.

How or how strong, I will not kn - Thank you for watching this half hour specia edition of "Carolina Journal."

We'll resume in just a moment with our regular scheduled portion of the show.