Stephen Thorne

Stephen Douglas Thorne (February 11, 1953 – May 24, 1986), (Lt Cmdr, USN), was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot and a NASA astronaut candidate. He was born on February 11, 1953, in Frankfurt, West Germany, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975. He was a Navy fighter pilot from 1976 until he became a test pilot in 1981. He was accepted for NASA astronaut training in June 1985, but died in an airplane accident where he was a passenger on May 24, 1986. He was survived by his wife, Sue Lotz of Staunton, Virginia. His interests included baseball, running, reading, and general aviation.