Pilot William McCool, 41, Navy commander from Lubbock, Texas, and father of three sons, who was one of the seven astronauts on the space shuttle Columbia, is seen in this undated handout photo from NASA.

NASA / AP

Pilot William McCool, 41, Navy commander from Lubbock, Texas, and father of three sons, who was one of the seven astronauts on the space shuttle Columbia, is seen in this undated handout photo from NASA.