STS-61-C crew Front row (L-R): Robert Cenker, Charles Bolden, Robert Gibson, Franklin Chang Diaz Back row (L-R): Bill Nelson, Steven Hawley, George Nelson Mission patch Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-61-C), launched January 12, 1986, was the last space shuttle flight before the Challenger disaster. Its crew consisted of Commander Robert Gibson, Pilot Charles Bolden, George Nelson, Steven Hawley, Franklin Chang-Diaz, William Nelson and Robert Cenker. It was the first flight for Franklin Chang Diaz, the first Latin-American immigrant to go into space. It was the second mission to have an African-American pilot - Charles Bolden. Bolden would go onto become NASA Administrator. It was the second mission to have a sitting politician on board - Bill Nelson (D-Florida). It was Robert Cenker's only space flight. It might be the first time two astronauts with the same last name were on board. They returned to Earth January 18.