In 1985, two members of the Astro Electronics engineering staff, Bob Cenker and Gerard Magilton, were selected to train as NASA Payload Specialists for the "Space Shuttle Columbia" mission designated as STS-61-C. The primary goal of the flight was to deliver a communications satellite, RCA Americom Satcom KU-1, designed and built at the Astro-Electronics facility, into orbit. Cenker was selected as a member of the flight crew, and Magilton was assigned as the back-up. When "Columbia" launched on January 12, 1986, Bob Cenker became RCA Astro-Electronic's first astronaut. Following the destruction of "Space Shuttle Challenger" with the next Shuttle mission, civilian Payload Specialists were excluded from flying Shuttle missions until 1990. By that time, RCA had been purchased by General Electric, and RCA Astro-Electronics became part of GE. As a result, Cenker was the only RCA Astro-Electronics employee, and only employee in the history of the facility under all of its subsequent names, to ever fly in space.