NASA's first astronaut from West Virginia later found his second home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where he spent two decades greeting tens of thousands of visitors as one of the attraction's most-seen ambassadors of America's space program.
"Big Jon" McBride, who piloted space shuttle Challenger on the STS-41-G mission in October 1984, died Wednesday after a battle with Alzheimer's disease and cancer. He was 80 years old.
"He told me several times the most exciting part of his career was during Navy and NASA — but the most meaningful part of his career was at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, sharing space," recalled his son, Merritt Island resident Jon McBride II.
"He just told me that sharing space made all of the excitement and all the things that he did meaningful. He really hoped to inspire the next generation of space explorers, scientists, engineers. He loved education. He loved traveling and speaking to kids around the world," McBride II said.
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'A living legend' at KSC Visitor Complex
After retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1989, McBride worked at the KSC Visitor Complex from 2000 to 2020. Referred to as "a living legend" by visitor complex CEO Therrin Protze, McBride oversaw the Astronaut Encounter program — giving thousands of public presentations along the way — and was instrumental in creating the Dine with an Astronaut and Fly with an Astronaut programs.
To honor his life and legacy, the KSC Visitor Complex will conduct a remembrance ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday on the bottom floor of the shuttle Atlantis building. The public is invited to attend. Afterward, an Aug. 19 memorial service and interment are scheduled in West Virginia.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Captain Jon McBride, an American hero and veteran NASA astronaut," visitor complex officials said in a statement.
"As a beloved member of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex family, Jon inspired countless guests, crewmembers, and people during his time working at the visitor complex and throughout his career. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Jon McBride’s family during this difficult time," the statement said.
Born in in Charleston, West Virginia, McBride was an F-4 Phantom test pilot who flew 64 combat missions in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. He was the lead chase pilot for shuttle Columbia’s maiden voyage, and his eight-day STS-41-G mission aboard Challenger marked NASA's first shuttle flight with a crew of seven astronauts.
Afterward, he was assigned to NASA Headquarters to serve as assistant administrator for congressional relations from 1987 to 1989.
"As a naval officer, pilot, and astronaut, Jon McBride dedicated himself to the nation we love. His leadership during one of the early Space Shuttle missions — as the pilot for the first crew of seven — expanded our possibilities in the stars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a tweet.
"He was my friend, and we will miss him," Nelson said.
JAXA friends praise McBride's career
McBride lived for years in Titusville and Cocoa. During a phone conversation, McBride II recalled his father's optimism and tendency to look ahead to the future — whether it be hundreds or thousands of years out.
"I was just speaking with some friends in Japan that just called from JAXA, which is the Japanese NASA. It's good to know: They were just saying how much he meant to them as well. A couple of weeks a year out in Japan, he spoke to maybe 5,000 or 10,000 kids a day," McBride II said.
"He really believed in sharing space, and kind of igniting that passion in kids to explore, to study and to look further," he said.
McBride's obituary summarizes his last hours.
"His final prayer request was for world peace. His final words were 'Oh, boy!' as he watched a Kennedy Space Center rocket launch from his window."
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Rick Nealeis a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale atRneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X:@RickNeale1
