William Ray Lucas, the director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center during the Challenger disaster, died at 102. He passed away at his Huntsville, Alabama home on February 15, 2025. Lucas oversaw the center during the tragic Challenger launch on January 28, 1986, which resulted in the deaths of all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe. A presidential commission later criticized NASA's safety protocols, but Lucas defended the launch decision. He had a distinguished career in space exploration, having joined the Marshall center in 1960, rising to director in 1974, before resigning shortly after the commission's findings.