This episode of Carolina Stories reviews the lives and accomplishments of three South Carolina Hall of Fame inductees, Charles Duke, Ronald McNair, and Charles Bolden Jr. Begin the journey of learning about each of these spectacular astronauts whose stories will be the focus of the collection.
Heralding from Lancaster, South Carolina, Charles Duke is South Carolina’s first and only astronaut to land on the moon. In 1972, he cemented himself in space exploration history, as he became 1 of 12 astronauts to land on the moon with his contributions as Lunar Module pilot for Apollo XVI.
Ronald McNair, a prominent member of NASA’s Space shuttle program, was born in Lake City, South Carolina. Becoming the second African American to fly in space, McNair found his place on NASA’s Challenger. His journey would take a turn for the worse with the unfortunate accident of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. He is remembered with great honor with accounts from his many friends and peers at the opening of his memorial in his hometown.
Charles Bolden Jr., a great friend of McNair’s, also found himself leading the path of space exploration. The Columbia native piloted four historic space missions with Discovery being the most notable. After his time as a pilot, Bolden Jr. became NASA’s Chief Administrative Officer with his nomination from President Obama.
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