The Nation - News from Jan. 8, 1987

The family of Challenger shuttle pilot Michael J. Smith, unwilling to accept a reported settlement of at least $1 million reached by the government with each of four other astronaut families, is now free to file suit in federal court. A six-month period for the government to act on the Smith family’s $15.1-million negligence claim expires today and a space agency lawyer, Edward Frankle, said “we haven’t reached agreement.”