CDR. Ed Banek USN Ret. and CWO4 Joe Frole USN Ret.

Morgan Brittany Smith as a young girl, dared to dream of possibly going into space one day. In her short 28 year life, she progressed towards that lofty goal with every new endeavor she undertook. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and her Masters in Aerospace Engineering completely on academic scholarships from Old Dominion and Georgia Tech. Simultaneously she was pursuing and attained her private pilot’s license as well as mentoring young people. After completing her Masters, Morgan was involved in some projects for various companies ranging from UAVs to space missions involving Mars, before ultimately working for Lockheed Martin as a Flight Test, Flying Qualities Lead Engineer for the Carrier Variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II being developed for the U.S. Navy.
Morgan loved her work but was happiest when she was defying gravity. Whether it was airborne in a small aircraft, parachuting, riding in hot air balloons or soaring in a glider. Other things she really loved and poured her heart into, was when she was able to provide some inspiration to young ladies and trying to get them interested in math and sciences and eventually aviation through programs like, Women Soar You Soar at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Airventure in Oshkosh Wisconsin. Morgan knew no boundaries and never missed an opportunity to network within the aviation / aerospace world. Morgan was personally invited to the unveiling of Virgin Gallactic’s Space Ship I and Space Ship II as well as the commissioning of Spaceport USA.
In 2013 at the age of 27, she made her first application to NASA applying for the next class of astronauts. She knew she was considered too young, but thought by the time she was forty, she would have worn them down and would have stood a better chance.
Morgan traveled the world extensively and touched lives around the globe.
Morgan was tragically killed when the small plane she was a passenger in, crashed on 9 May 2014 on approach to Atlantic City airport on her way to an airshow.