Astronaut Samuel Durrance dies at 79.
Samuel Durrance, an astronomer and one of the first non-career astronauts to fly with NASA after the loss of space shuttle Challenger, has died at the age of 79. Durrance flew twice on the space shuttle, spending nearly nine days in orbit conducting round-the-clock observations using telescopes he helped design and build. He also served as the director of science and technology for Final Analysis, Inc., and as an associate professor at the University of Central Florida. Durrance was a lifetime member of the Association of Space Explorers and frequently made public appearances as part of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's daily Astronaut Encounter program.