Claim Filed in Death of Shuttle Pilot

The wife and heirs of Challenger co-pilot Michael J. Smith have filed a $15.1-million wrongful death claim against the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and former rocket manager Lawrence B. Mulloy, the agency said Tuesday.

NASA spokesman David Garrett said the claim was received July 3 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., the center responsible for the booster rocket that triggered the Jan. 28 explosion that killed Smith and six other shuttle crew members.

“The claim is currently being analyzed and it would be inappropriate to comment at this juncture relative to the specifics of the claims,” NASA said in a statement.

The claim, a copy of which was released by the space agency, said Smith “was thrown about in the spacecraft and, in the few seconds preceding his death, knew of his impending death.”

The claim alleged that negligence of NASA employees “was the sole proximate cause” of Smith’s death.

The claim said the NASA officials, including Mulloy, “knew or should have known” that the booster rocket joint seal that failed would not properly seal and that a catastrophic accident would likely occur.

The claim also said the officials knew or should have known that cold weather could contribute to the seal failure.