William C. McCool

U.S. Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia which was destroyed during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003

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Lived 1961–2003, aged 42United States

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Wikipedia
39 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1961–2003
Aged 42
Awards
3
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-20

William Cameron "Willie" McCool was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.