william r. lucas, a former nasa official involved in pivotal space missions, passed away at 102. His legacy is marred by his association with the challenger disaster, which resulted in the loss of all seven crew members aboard the shuttle in 1986.

A nasa rocket scientist involved in the design and development of early space missions and later faced scrutiny for the challenger disaster.

The United States government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research.

The space shuttle involved in the 1986 disaster that resulted in the death of seven astronauts.