Physicist and astronaut Ronald McNair is killed with his crewmates when the Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart shortly after launch.
At a Glance
- Date
- 28 January 1986
- Location
- Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Key people
- Ronald McNair
- Category
- Science, Medicine & Invention
- Source
- NASA mission STS-51-L records (1986) · NASA
What It Meant Then
He was the second Black American to fly in space, lost on his second mission.
What It Means Now
Schools, scholarships, and a NASA program honor McNair's legacy in STEM.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Ronald McNair Dies in the Challenger Disaster.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/ronald-mcnair-dies-in-the-challenger-disaster/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Ronald McNair Dies in the Challenger Disaster. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/ronald-mcnair-dies-in-the-challenger-disaster/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Ronald McNair Dies in the Challenger Disaster.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/ronald-mcnair-dies-in-the-challenger-disaster/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.