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{{Short description|American teacher and astronaut (1948–1986)}}
{{refimprove|date=October 2007}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox Astronaut
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
| name =Christa McAuliffe
{{Infobox person
| image =Christa McAuliffe.jpg
|name = Christa McAuliffe
| type =Spaceflight Participant<ref>[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/PS/index.html#SFP jsc.nasa.gov]</ref>
|image = ChristaMcAuliffe (cropped).jpg
| nationality =[[United States|American]]
|caption = McAuliffe in 1985
| date_birth ={{birth date|1948|09|02}}
|birth_name = Sharon Christa Corrigan
| date_death ={{death date and age|1986|01|28|1948|09|02}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|1948|9|2}}
| place_birth =[[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]
| place_death =[[Cape Canaveral]], [[Florida]]
|birth_place = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|1986|1|28|1948|9|2}}
| occupation =[[Teacher]]
|death_place = North Atlantic Ocean
| selection =[[Teacher in Space Project]]
|spouse = {{marriage|[[Steven J. McAuliffe]]|1970}}
| mission =[[STS-51-L]]
|children = 2
| insignia =[[Image:STS-51-L-patch-small.png|30px]]
|education = [[Framingham State University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[Bowie State University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])
|}}
|awards = [[Congressional Space Medal of Honor]]
'''Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe''' ([[September 2]], [[1948]] – [[January 28]], [[1986]]) was an [[United States|American]] teacher from [[Concord, New Hampshire]] who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to participate in the NASA [[Teacher in Space Project]]. She was one of seven crew members killed in the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster]].
|module = {{Infobox astronaut
|child = yes
|type = NASA [[Space flight participant]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/PS/index.html#SFP |title=Astronaut Biographies: Space Flight Participant |access-date=January 10, 2009 |publisher=NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |date=December 5, 2008}}</ref>
|selection = [[Teacher in Space Project]] (1985)
|mission = [[STS-51-L]] ([[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|disaster]])
|insignia = [[File:STS-51-L.svg|30px]]}}
}}

'''Sharon Christa McAuliffe''' ({{née}} '''Corrigan'''; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from [[Concord, New Hampshire]] who died on the [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'']] on mission [[STS-51-L]], where she was serving as a [[payload specialist]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biographical data|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/mcauliffe.pdf}}</ref>

McAuliffe received her bachelor's degree in education and history from [[Framingham State University|Framingham State College]] in 1970 and her master's degree in education, supervision and administration<ref>Hohler, Robert T. (1986). "I Touch the Future{{nbsp}}..." The Story of Christa McAuliffe. New York, NY: Random House. {{ISBN|0-394-55721-2}}.</ref> from [[Bowie State University]] in 1978. McAuliffe took a teaching position as a social studies teacher at [[Concord High School (New Hampshire)|Concord High School]] in [[New Hampshire]] in 1983.

In 1985, McAuliffe was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to the [[NASA]] [[Teacher in Space Project]] and was scheduled to become the first teacher to fly in space.<ref name="EdweekTimeline">{{Cite journal|url=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1998/01/28/20spacs1.h17.html|title=Teachers in Space: A Chronology|access-date=January 9, 2009|journal=Education Week|date=January 28, 1998|pages=Vol. 17, Issue 20, p.12}}</ref> As a member of mission [[STS-51-L]], she was planning to conduct experiments and teach two lessons from ''Challenger''. On January 28, 1986, [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|the shuttle broke apart 1 minute 13 seconds after launch]], killing all onboard. After her death, several schools were named in her honor, and McAuliffe was posthumously awarded the [[Congressional Space Medal of Honor]] in 2004. In 2024, a statue of McAuliffe was installed on the grounds of the [[New Hampshire State House|New Hampshire State Capitol]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
Sharon Christa Corrigan was born on September 2, 1948, in [[Boston]] as the oldest of the five children of accountant Edward Christopher Corrigan (1922–1990), who was of English and Irish descent;<ref name="Corrigan 2000 21">{{Harvnb | Corrigan | 2000 | p=21}}</ref> and Grace Mary Corrigan (1924–2018; née George), a substitute teacher,<ref name="NASABio">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/Biographies/challenger.html |title=The Crew of the Challenger Shuttle Mission in 1986 |access-date=January 9, 2009 |publisher=NASA |date=October 22, 2004 |archive-date=May 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527163412/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/Biographies/challenger.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Edward">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/28/obituaries/edward-c-corrigan-astronaut-s-father-67.html |title= Edward C. Corrigan, Astronaut's Father, 67 |access-date=January 10, 2009 |work=The New York Times |date=January 28, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb | Corrigan | 2000 |p=156}}</ref> whose father was of Lebanese [[Maronite Christianity in Lebanon | Maronite]] descent.<ref name="Corrigan 2000 21"/> McAuliffe was a great niece of Lebanese-American historian [[Philip Khuri Hitti]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.lebanesemonthly.com/magazines/lebanese_monthly_volume-01_issue-02.pdf |title= 20 Years Later...Remembering Lebanese American Astronaut Christa McAuliffe |magazine=Lebanese Monthly Magazine |date=February 2006 |access-date=January 12, 2009 | page=18 |volume=1 |issue=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304125359/http://www.lebanesemonthly.com/magazines/lebanese_monthly_volume-01_issue-02.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> McAuliffe was known by her middle name from an early age, and in later years she signed her name "S. Christa Corrigan", and eventually "S. Christa McAuliffe".<ref> {{Harvnb | Burgess | Corrigan | 2000 | pp=6-7}}</ref>
Born '''Sharon Christa Corrigan''' on [[September 2]], [[1948]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], McAuliffe was the oldest of five children of Edward and Grace George Corrigan. Her father, born Edward Corrigan, was [[Irish people|Irish]], and her mother, born Grace George, is of part [[Maronite]] [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] origin through her father (Christa's grandfather) and is a niece of historian [[Philip Hitti]].<ref>http://www.lebanesemonthly.com/magazines/lebanese_monthly_volume-01_issue-02.pdf</ref><ref>[http://www.irishlebanese.com/page27.html Prominent Irish Lebanese<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The year Christa was born, her father was completing his [[wiktionary:sophomore|sophomore]] year at [[Boston College]]. Not long there after, he took a job as an assistant [[comptroller]] in a Boston [[department store]] and the family moved to [[Framingham, Massachusetts]], where she attended and graduated from [[Marian High School (Framingham, Massachusetts)|Marian High School]] in 1966. As a youth, she was inspired by the [[Project Apollo|Apollo moon landing program]], and wrote years later on her NASA application form that "I watched the Space Age being born, and I would like to participate!"


The year McAuliffe was born, her father was completing his sophomore year at [[Boston College]].<ref name="NASABio"/> Not long after, he took a job as an assistant [[comptroller]] in a Boston [[department store]], and they moved to [[Framingham, Massachusetts]], where McAuliffe attended [[Marian High School (Massachusetts)|Marian High School]], graduating in 1966.<ref name="Corrigan40">{{Harvnb|Corrigan|2000|p=40}}</ref> She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in 1970 from Framingham State College, now [[Framingham State University]]. As a youth, McAuliffe was inspired by [[Project Mercury]] and the [[Project Apollo|Apollo Moon landing program]]. The day after [[John Glenn]] orbited the Earth in ''[[Friendship 7]]'', she told a friend at Marian High, "Do you realize that someday people will be going to the Moon? Maybe even taking a bus, and I want to do that!"<ref>{{Harvnb|Burgess|Corrigan|2000|p=10}}</ref> McAuliffe wrote years later on her [[NASA]] application form: "I watched the [[Space Age]] being born, and I would like to participate."<ref name="NASABio"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Burgess|Corrigan|2000|pp=9–10}}</ref>
== Career as an educator ==
McAuliffe attended [[Framingham State College]] in her hometown, graduating in 1970. A few weeks later, she married her longstanding boyfriend, [[Steven J. McAuliffe]], and they moved to the [[Washington, DC]] metropolitan area so Steven could attend the [[Georgetown University Law Center]]. They had two children: Scott and Caroline, who were nine and six respectively when she died.


In 1970, McAuliffe married her longtime boyfriend whom she had known since high school, [[Steven J. McAuliffe]], a 1970 graduate of the [[Virginia Military Institute]]. The couple moved closer to Washington, D.C., so that he could attend the [[Georgetown University Law Center]].<ref name="NASABio"/><ref name="Corrigan40"/> They had two children, Scott and Caroline, who were nine and six respectively when she died.<ref>{{Harvnb|Corrigan|2000|p=123}}</ref>
McAuliffe took a job teaching in the secondary schools, specializing in [[American history]], [[social studies]], [[law]], [[economics]], and a self-designed course: "The American [[Woman]]". They stayed in the Washington area for the next eight years; she was teaching and completing a [[Master of Arts (postgraduate)|Master of Arts]] from [[Bowie State University]] in [[Maryland]]. They moved to [[Concord, New Hampshire]] in 1978, when Steven accepted a job as an assistant to the state [[attorney general]]. Christa took a teaching post at [[Concord High School (New Hampshire)|Concord High School]] in 1982. She was a Social Studies teacher and taught several courses including "American Culture", "Economics", "American Foreign Policy", and Womens'
Studies". A large part of her teaching techniques were field trips or bringing in speakers. In 1984, she learned about [[NASA]]'s efforts to locate an [[educator]] to fly on the [[Space Shuttle]]. NASA wanted a teacher, or an ordinary person who would spark the interests of the Americans further into the studies of space. The intent was to find a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit.


[[File:Concord NH High School.jpg|thumb|right|McAuliffe was a teacher at [[Concord High School (New Hampshire)|Concord High School]] in New Hampshire.]]
== Teacher in Space Project ==
{{main|Teacher in Space Project}}
[[NASA]] selected McAuliffe for this position on [[July 19]], [[1985]] (another teacher, [[Barbara Morgan]], served as her backup). In the autumn of that year, both she and Morgan took a year-long leave of absence from teaching (NASA paid their salaries) to train for an early 1986 space shuttle mission. While not a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps, she would be part of the STS-51-L crew and would teach lessons from space. After being chosen to be the first teacher in space, McAuliffe was interviewed by many TV personalities, including the likes of [[Larry King]], [[Johnny Carson]], [[David Letterman]], and [[Regis Philbin]]. She had an immediate rapport with the media, and the [[Teacher in Space Project]] received tremendously popular attention as a result. It is in part because of the excitement over McAuliffe's presence on ''Challenger'' that the accident had such a significant effect on the nation.


McAuliffe obtained her first teaching position in 1970, as an American history teacher at Benjamin Foulois Junior High School in [[Morningside, Maryland]].<ref name="Ultimate"/> From 1971 to 1978, she taught history and civics at Thomas Johnson Middle School in [[Lanham, Maryland]]. In addition to teaching, McAuliffe completed a Master of Arts in education supervision and administration from [[Bowie State University]] in [[Maryland]].<ref name="Papers">{{Cite web|url=http://www.framingham.edu/henry-whittemore-library/curriculum-library-archives-and-special-collections/christa-mcauliffe.html |title=Christa McAuliffe 1948–1986 |access-date=January 11, 2009 |publisher=Framingham State College – Henry Whittemore Library |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528041008/http://www.framingham.edu/henry-whittemore-library/curriculum-library-archives-and-special-collections/christa-mcauliffe.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref> In 1978, she moved to [[Concord, New Hampshire]], when Steven accepted a job as an assistant to the [[New Hampshire Attorney General]].<ref name="NASABio"/> McAuliffe taught 7th and 8th grade American history and English in Concord, New Hampshire, and ninth grade English in [[Bow, New Hampshire]], before taking a teaching post at [[Concord High School (New Hampshire)|Concord High School]] in 1983.<ref>Application for NASA Teacher in Space Program: Sharon Christa McAuliffe can be found in the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Special Collections at Whittemore Library at Framingham State University {{cite web|url=http://www.framingham.edu/henry-whittemore-library/archives-and-special-collections/christa-mcauliffe.html |title=Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Papers, 1948-2000|access-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194829/http://www.framingham.edu/henry-whittemore-library/archives-and-special-collections/christa-mcauliffe.html |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}</ref>
Barbara Morgan became a professional astronaut in January 1998, 12 years after McAuliffe's death. Morgan flew on the space shuttle mission [[STS-118]] aboard ''[[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Endeavour]]'' (the orbiter that replaced ''Challenger'') to the [[International Space Station]] on [[August 8]] [[2007]], 21 years after the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' disaster]].


McAuliffe was a social studies teacher, and taught several courses including American history, law, and economics, in addition to a self-designed course: "The American Woman".<ref>{{Harvnb|Burgess|Corrigan|2000|pp=15–16}}</ref> Taking field trips and bringing in speakers were an important part of her teaching techniques. According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', McAuliffe "emphasized the impact of ordinary people on history, saying they were as important to the historical record as kings, politicians or generals."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0902.html|title=The Shuttle Explosion, The Seven Who Perished in The Explosion of The Challenger |work=The New York Times |date=January 29, 1986|access-date=January 13, 2009}}</ref>
== Legacy ==
[[Image:Christaplanetarium1.jpg|right|thumb|280px|The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in [[Concord, New Hampshire]]]]
She was posthumously awarded the [[Congressional Space Medal of Honor]].<ref>[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mcauliffe.html jsc.nasa.gov]</ref>


==Teacher in Space Project==
After her death, she was honored at many events, including sports events such as the [[Daytona 500]]. The [[Christa McAuliffe Planetarium]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire]] and the [[Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center]] in [[Pleasant Grove, Utah]] are named in her memory, as are asteroid [[3352 McAuliffe]] and the [[McAuliffe (crater)|McAuliffe crater]] on the [[Moon]]. At least 35 schools have been named after her, including Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Lake Worth, Florida, McAuliffe Elementary in Palm Bay, FL (located in Brevard County, where the shuttle is launched), and McAuliffe Elementary in [[McAllen, TX]]. A residence hall located on the campus of her Alma Mater, Bowie State University, is named after McAuliffe: The Christa McAuliffe Residential Complex.
[[File:Christa McAuliffe Experiences Weightlessness During KC-135 Flight - GPN-2002-000149.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|McAuliffe undergoing pre-flight training experiences [[weightlessness]] during a [[KC-135]] "[[vomit comet]]" flight]]
[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=%5b108%2d265%5d%20Ronald%20Mcnair%20Blvd&city=Myrtle%20Beach&state=SC&zipcode=29579&country=US&location=YHnPr5Ccs4kGTEhlNOaUABYq2WohSz%2b6%2fdH%2bDevDYDIMZqGk1xBUOWBbGO5sz%2ffMOzxSo9eVzsiKowTToKXsMZcfCyspYYysMsf6RmD8lYGMlGh4028OI%2fxALC1aLNXSrvoERnxeJAO27fWuywuwQVVlJ3%2ftwmDt&ambiguity=1 Christa McAuliffe Street] in [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]] is also named in her honor. Located nearby in [[Myrtle Beach]] are [[Dick Scobee]] Road and [[Ronald McNair]] Boulevard. A portion of U.S. Route 460 passing through [[Roanoke County]], [[Virginia]] was renamed Challenger Avenue in honor of the seven fallen crew members.
[[File:Christa McAuliffe eating space food dishes.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|McAuliffe (left) and her backup [[Barbara Morgan]] (right) try out [[space food]] in the canteen of the [[Johnson Space Center]], Sep 10, 1985]]


In 1984, President [[Ronald Reagan]] announced the [[Teacher in Space Project]], and McAuliffe learned about NASA's efforts to find their first civilian, an educator, to fly into space.<ref name="Center">{{Cite web|url=http://www.challenger.org/about/history/index.cfm|title=The Challenger Story:Teacher in Space|publisher=Challenger Center for Space Science Education|access-date=January 13, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125080418/http://www.challenger.org/about/history/index.cfm|archive-date=January 25, 2009}}</ref> NASA wanted to find an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit.<ref name="NASABio"/><ref name="Ultimate">{{Cite news|author=Staff writer|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401108.html|title=McAuliffe: Teacher on 'Ultimate Field Trip'|newspaper = The Washington Post|date=January 28, 1986|page=A10|access-date=January 13, 2009}}</ref> McAuliffe became one of more than 11,000 applicants.<ref name="Center"/>
McAuliffe was portrayed by [[Karen Allen]] in the 1990 TV movie ''[[Challenger (TV film)|Challenger]]''. A documentary film about McAuliffe and Morgan, produced by Renee Sotile & Mary Jo Godges aired on [[CNN]] in January 2006, called ''[[Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars]]''.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.christa.html CNN Programs - Today on CNN<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It commemorated the 20th anniversary of her death. The 75 minute feature version narrated by Susan Sarandon with songs by Carly Simon.


{{quote box|align=right|width=25%|quote=I cannot join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but this opportunity to connect my abilities as an educator with my interests in history and space is a unique opportunity to fulfill my early fantasies. I will never give up.|source= —Christa McAuliffe, 1985<ref>{{Cite book |editor-last=Ware |editor-first=Susan |editor2=Stacy Lorraine Braukman |title=Notable American Women|year=2004|publisher=Harvard University Press|location=Cambridge, MA| isbn=0-674-01488-X|page=425}}</ref>}}
The [[Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference]] has been held every year in [[Nashua]], [[New Hampshire]] since 1986. The conference is devoted to educational technology, with a broad vendor presence and presenters both from technology companies and from regional schools, with an emphasis on curricular technology use and classroom management techniques.<ref>[http://www.nhcmtc.org/ nhcmtc.org]</ref>


NASA hoped that sending a teacher into space would increase public interest in the [[Space Shuttle]] program, and also demonstrate the reliability of space flight at a time when the agency was under continuous pressure to find financial support.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11062587 |agency=Associated Press |title=On anniversary, some reflect on lessons learned |date=January 28, 2006 |work = NBC News |access-date=March 19, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Vaughan|first=Diane|title=The Challenger launch decision: risky technology, culture, and deviance at NASA|year=1996|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, IL|isbn=0-226-85176-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/challengerlaunch00dian/page/16 16]|url=https://archive.org/details/challengerlaunch00dian/page/16}}</ref><ref name="RogersCh8">{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v1ch8.htm |title=Chapter VIII: Pressures on the System |work=Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident| access-date=March 19, 2009 |date=June 6, 1986 |publisher=NASA}}</ref> President Reagan said it would also remind Americans of the important role that teachers and education serve in their country.<ref name="firstannouncement">{{cite web |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40300 |title=Remarks at a Ceremony Honoring the 1983–1984 Winners in the Secondary School Recognition Program |access-date=March 19, 2009 |date=August 27, 1984 |publisher=The American Presidency Project}}</ref>
Twenty years after the ''Challenger'' accident, Christa's son Scott is a multimedia specialist. He married in 2004. Meanwhile, her daughter, Caroline, grew up to pursue the same career that her mother had pursued: teaching. Steve remarried and became a [[federal judge]] in 1992. He serves with the [[United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire]] in Concord. Christa's mother Grace, is still talking to school children about McAuliffe.


The [[Council of Chief State School Officers]], a non-profit organization of public officials in education, was chosen by NASA to coordinate the selection process.<ref name="STS-51Lpress">{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/sts51lpresskithighres.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://history.nasa.gov/sts51lpresskithighres.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-51L Press Kit |access-date=March 16, 2009 |date=January 1986 |publisher=NASA|pages=22–25 }}</ref> Out of the initial applicant pool, 114 semi-finalists were nominated by state, territorial, and agency review panels. McAuliffe was one of two teachers nominated by the state of New Hampshire.<ref name="concordmonitor">{{cite web |url=http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060126/REPOSITORY/601260382 |title=An inspired choice for an extraordinary role |access-date=March 16, 2009 |last=Travis |first=Mark |date=January 26, 2006 |work=Concord Monitor |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224318/http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060126%2FREPOSITORY%2F601260382 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 }}</ref> The semi-finalists gathered in Washington, D.C., from June 22–27, 1985, for a conference on space education and to meet with the Review Panel that would select the 10 finalists.<ref name="STS-51Lpress"/>
In the ''And Now A Word From Us Kids'' section in the [[PBS Kids]] TV series ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'' episode ''Locked In The Library'', the kids in this section sing a song about heroes and heroines. They mention her along with "she went into space". She did not actually go into space due to the ''Challenger'' disaster.


[[File:Challenger flight 51-l crew.jpg|thumb|''[[STS-51-L|Challenger]]'' crew from left to right: (front row) [[Michael J. Smith (astronaut)|Michael J. Smith]], [[Dick Scobee]], [[Ronald McNair]]; (back row) [[Ellison Onizuka]], Christa McAuliffe, [[Gregory Jarvis]], and [[Judith Resnik]]]]
The McAuliffe star system in the [[Wing Commander (franchise)|''Wing Commander'']] computer game series is named for her. The spaceship on the children's science-fiction series ''[[Space Cases]]'', about a group of students lost in space, was called the "Christa". She is mentioned in the [[Dan Brown]] book ''[[Deception Point]]''. There were many cartoons that honored McAuliffe. One such tribute is when cartoon characters, such as the [[Animaniacs]], put up a statue of McAuliffe on display.
On July 1, 1985, McAuliffe was announced as one of the 10 finalists, and on July 7 she traveled to [[Johnson Space Center]] for a week of thorough medical examinations and briefings about space flight.<ref name="STS-51Lpress"/> The finalists were interviewed by an evaluation committee composed of senior NASA officials, and the committee made recommendations to [[NASA Administrator]] [[James M. Beggs]] for the primary and backup candidates for the Teacher in Space Project. On July 19, 1985, Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]] announced that McAuliffe had been selected for the position. Another teacher, [[Barbara Morgan]], served as her backup.<ref name="selectionannouncement">{{cite web |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=38909 |title=Remarks of the Vice President Announcing the Winner of the Teacher in Space Project |access-date=March 16, 2009 |date=July 19, 1985 |publisher=The American Presidency Project}}</ref> According to Mark Travis of the ''[[Concord Monitor]]'', it was McAuliffe's manner that set her apart from the other candidates.<ref name="concordmonitor"/> NASA official Alan Ladwig said "she had an infectious enthusiasm", and NASA psychiatrist Terrence McGuire told ''New Woman'' magazine that "she was the most broad-based, best-balanced person of the 10."<ref name="concordmonitor"/>


Later that year, McAuliffe and Morgan each took a year-long leave of absence from teaching in order to train for a Space Shuttle mission in early 1986.<ref name="NASABio"/><ref name="MorganBio">{{Cite web| url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html|title=Barbara Radding Morgan – NASA Astronaut biography|access-date=January 9, 2009|publisher=NASA|year=2007}}</ref> NASA paid both their salaries. While not a member of the [[NASA Astronaut Corps]], McAuliffe was to be part of the [[STS-51-L]] crew, and would conduct experiments and teach lessons from space. Her planned duties included basic science experiments in the fields of [[chromatography]], [[hydroponics]], [[magnetism]], and [[Newton's laws]].<ref name="Experiments">{{Cite web |url = http://www.challenger.org/challenger_lessons/christas-lost-lessons/|title = Christa's Lost Lessons|access-date = February 13, 2016|publisher = Space Educators' Handbook – OMB/NASA Report #S677/Challenger Center for Space Science Education}}</ref> She was also planning to conduct two 15-minute classes from space, including a tour of the spacecraft, called "The Ultimate Field Trip", and a lesson about the benefits of space travel, called "Where We've Been, Where We're Going, Why".<ref name="Ultimate"/><ref name="Time1">{{Cite magazine |last=Magnuson|first=Ed|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,143062,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707020754/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,143062,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 7, 2009|title=They Slipped the Surly Bonds of Earth to Touch|access-date=January 9, 2009 |magazine=Time |date=June 24, 2001}}</ref> The lessons were to be broadcast to millions of schoolchildren via closed-circuit TV. To record her thoughts, McAuliffe intended to keep a personal journal like a "woman on the [[Conestoga wagons]] pioneering the West."<ref name="Telegraph-Herald">{{Cite news|title=Teacher embraced historic chance|agency=United Press International|work = Telegraph Herald|date=January 28, 1986|page=13}}</ref>
'''Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School 187''' is a gifted and talented middle school in Brooklyn, NY. The mission of the school is to be a "center for educational innovation and accomplishment. It is a school with a reputation for drawing the best of all its students. The mission of this school is quite simple. It is the responsibility of all the stakeholders in our school to encourage and foster high standards of excellence in the area of academic and social growth." This mission for the school embodies all that Christa McAuliffe held dear: bravery, courage, and challenging students to be the best students and people possible. The students are even called ''Explorers'', and the yearbook ''The Challenger'', to honor McAuliffe.


After being chosen to be the first teacher in space, McAuliffe was a guest on several television programs, including ''[[Good Morning America]]''; the ''[[CBS Morning News]]''; the ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today Show]]''; and ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'', where, when asked about the mission, she stated, "If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat. Just get on."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Belman|first=Felice|author2=Mike Pride|title=The New Hampshire Century: Concord Monitor Profiles of One Hundred People Who Shaped It|year=2001|publisher=University Press of New England|location=Hanover, NH|isbn=1-58465-087-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/newhampshirecent00feli/page/4 4]|url=https://archive.org/details/newhampshirecent00feli/page/4}}</ref> She had an immediate rapport with the media, and the Teacher in Space Project received popular attention as a result.<ref name="NASABio"/>
Many states honor teachers in Christa McAuliffe's name. Beginning one year after the explosion, the Nebraska McAuliffe Prize has honored a Nebraska teacher for courage and excellence in education. Winners receive a $1000 cash prize and a plaque featuring Christa McAuliffe's picture and a picture of a mural by Jeanne Reynal entitled, "The Blizzard of '88". This mural hangs in the north wing of the Nebraska state capitol building and depicts another courageous Nebraska teacher, Minnie Freeman, who led her students to safety during the "[[Schoolhouse Blizzard]]" of 1888.


==Disaster and aftermath==
==Quotes==
{{main|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster}}
*''I cannot join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but this opportunity to connect my abilities as an educator with my interests in history and space is a unique opportunity to fulfill my early fantasies.''
[[File:Christa McAuliffe and Barbara Morgan - GPN-2002-000004.jpg|thumb|right|upright|McAuliffe and [[Barbara Morgan]]]]
*''I touch the future. I teach.''
On January 28, 1986, McAuliffe boarded [[Space Shuttle Challenger|''Challenger'']] with the other six crew members of STS-51-L. Only 73 seconds into its flight at an altitude of {{convert|48,000|ft|km|3|abbr=on}}, the shuttle broke apart, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.<ref name="NASABio"/><ref name="kerwin">{{cite web|last=Kerwin |first=Joseph P. |title=''Challenger'' crew cause and time of death |year=1986 |url=https://history.nasa.gov/kerwin.html |publisher=NASA |access-date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103015825/https://history.nasa.gov/kerwin.html |archive-date=January 3, 2013 }}</ref>
* ''No teacher has ever been better prepared to teach a lesson. So says I.''

*''Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can. And never give up, never.''
According to NASA, the accident had such a significant effect on the nation in part because of the excitement over McAuliffe's presence on the shuttle. Many schoolchildren were viewing the launch live, and media coverage of the accident was extensive.<ref name="children">{{cite journal | last = Wright| first = John C. |author2=Dale Kunkel |author3=Marites Pinon |author4=Aletha C. Huston | title = How Children Reacted to Televised Coverage of the Space Shuttle Disaster | journal = Journal of Communication | volume = 39 | issue = 2 | page = 27 | date =Spring 1989 | doi = 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1989.tb01027.x }}</ref>
*''What are we doing here? We're reaching for the stars.''

[[Barbara Morgan]], her backup, became a professional astronaut in January 1998,<ref name="MorganBio"/> and flew on Space Shuttle mission [[STS-118]], to the [[International Space Station]], on August 8, 2007, aboard ''[[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Endeavour]]'', the orbiter that replaced ''Challenger''.<ref name="MorganBio"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/endeavour-info.html|title=NASA Orbiter Fleet – Space Shuttle Overview: Endeavour (OV-105)|access-date=March 7, 2009|publisher=NASA/Kennedy Space Center|archive-date=February 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222025959/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/endeavour-info.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Legacy==
McAuliffe was buried at Blossom Hill Cemetery in her hometown of Concord.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hohler|first=Bob |title=McAuliffe's legacy 'keeps us reaching for the stars'| date=January 21, 1996| work=Boston Globe}}</ref> McAuliffe has since been honored at many events, including the [[Daytona 500]] [[NASCAR]] race in 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|title= Elliott has competition in Daytona 500| work = Philadelphia Daily News|date=February 15, 1986| page=35, Sports}}</ref> The [[McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center]] in Concord, the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Education and Teaching Excellence at [[Framingham State College|Framingham State University]], the Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School in Brooklyn, NY, the McAuliffe Branch Library in Framingham, MA, the Christa McAuliffe Adult Learning Center in Baton Rouge, LA, the S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Lowell, Massachusetts, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Sammamish, Washington and Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson, NJ, Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Bay City, MI, and The Christa McAuliffe Residential Community (CMRC) dorm and wellness center on the campus of her alma mater of Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, were named in her memory,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/unitedstates/stories/DN-spacemuse_0329tra.ART.State.Edition1.4ace60a.html |last=Tirrell-Wysocki |first=David|title=McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center honors New Hampshire astronauts | agency = Associated Press |work = The Dallas Morning News|date=March 31, 2009|access-date=May 16, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Framingham">{{Cite web |url=http://www.framingham.edu/academics/centers-and-institutes.html |title=Centers & Institutes |access-date=September 28, 2010 |publisher=Framingham State College |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920032324/http://framingham.edu/academics/centers-and-institutes.html |archive-date=September 20, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=schools.nyc.gov |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/K187 |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=web |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://framinghamlibrary.org/mcauliffe-branch|title=McAuliffe Branch |access-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref> as are the asteroid [[3352 McAuliffe]],<ref>{{Cite news|title=NASA to put probe to the test: New technologies to be tried in flight|work = The Washington Times|date=September 14, 1997}}</ref> the crater [[McAuliffe (crater)|McAuliffe]] on the [[Moon]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Burgess|Corrigan|2000|p=103}}</ref><ref>[http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/3777 McAuliffe crater], Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature</ref> and a crater on the planet [[Venus]], which was named McAuliffe by the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1990 |title=The Magellan Venus Explorer's Guide: Chapter 8 What's in a Name? |url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/magellan/guide8.html |access-date=January 9, 2009 |publisher=NASA JPL Publication 90-24}}</ref> Approximately 40 schools around the world have been named after McAuliffe, including the [[Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center]] in [[Pleasant Grove, Utah]].<ref name="Then and Now">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/15/cnn25.grace.corrigan/index.html|title=Then & Now: Grace Corrigan|access-date=January 10, 2009|publisher=CNN|date=August 15, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kapos|first=Katherine|title=School Launches Jaunts to Outer Space|work = The Salt Lake Tribune|date=December 2, 1990|page=B3}}</ref> Christa McAuliffe Park in Green Bay, WI is named after her.

Scholarships and other events have also been established in McAuliffe's memory. The Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference has been held in [[Nashua, New Hampshire]], every year since 1986, and is devoted to the use of technology in all aspects of education.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nhsaa.org/policy/styleProDev.cfm?category=PRODEV&ID=408 |title=22nd Annual Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference |publisher=New Hampshire School Administrators Association |year=2008 |access-date=January 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727123134/http://www.nhsaa.org/policy/styleProDev.cfm?category=PRODEV&ID=408 |archive-date=July 27, 2011 }}</ref> The Nebraska [[The Christa McAuliffe Prize|McAuliffe Prize]] honors a [[Nebraska]] teacher each year for courage and excellence in education.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cehs.unl.edu/cehs/awards/courage/|title=Do You Know a Courageous Teacher?|year=2008|publisher=University of Nebraska-Lincoln: College of Education and Human Sciences|access-date=January 10, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720154156/http://cehs.unl.edu/cehs/awards/courage/|archive-date=July 20, 2008}}</ref> Grants in McAuliffe's name, honoring innovative teachers, are provided by the [[American Association of State Colleges and Universities]] and the [[National Council for the Social Studies]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aascu.org/programs/TeacherEd/CMA/|title=Christa McAuliffe Award |publisher = American Association of State Colleges and Universities |access-date=January 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.socialstudies.org/awards/fasse/fasse-mcauliffe|title=Christa McAuliffe Reach for the Stars Award|publisher = National Council for the Social Studies |access-date=January 13, 2009}}</ref>

The [[Christa McAuliffe Space Center]] in Pleasant Grove, Utah, teaches school children about space, and is visited by students from around the world. It has a number of space flight simulators.
The center was started in 1990 by Victor Williamson, an educator at Central Elementary School. It is a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) building added onto Central Elementary. It aims to teach astronomy and social studies through the use of simulators; the first, Voyager, proved itself popular, and a new planetarium was added in 2020. As the years passed, the demand for flights expanded and new ships were commissioned.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacecenter.alpineschools.org/about|title= Christa McAuliffe Space Center - About|website=Christa McAuliffe Space Center|date =June 8, 2013 }}</ref>

McAuliffe was portrayed by [[Karen Allen]] in the 1990 TV movie ''[[Challenger (1990 film)|Challenger]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Saunders|first=Dusty|title='CHALLENGER' Playing McAuliffe Provided Karen Allen with the Greatest Challenge of her Career|work = Rocky Mountain News|date=February 25, 1990}}</ref> In October 2018, it was announced that [[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]] was cast to portray McAuliffe in ''The Challenger'', another retelling of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/michelle-williams-astronaut-christa-mcauliffe-challenger-1202966086/ |title=Michelle Williams to Play Astronaut Christa McAuliffe in 'The Challenger' |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=October 2, 2018 |work=Variety |access-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330121205/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/michelle-williams-astronaut-christa-mcauliffe-challenger-1202966086/ |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/michelle-williams-after-the-wedding-ending-equal-pay-venom-2-140549592.html |title=Michelle Williams on 'After the Wedding' ending, equal pay and reveals she's ready for 'Venom 2': 'I'm in' |last=Alter |first=Ethan |date=August 7, 2019 |website=[[Yahoo!]] Entertainment |access-date=August 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808072028/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/michelle-williams-after-the-wedding-ending-equal-pay-venom-2-140549592.html |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, McAuliffe was portrayed by Erika Waldorf in the [[independent film]] ''The Challenger Disaster''. The spaceship on the 1996–1997 children's science-fiction series ''[[Space Cases]]'', about a group of students lost in space, was called ''Christa''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Grahnke|first=Lon |title=2 New Series Fire Up Sci-Fi Shows Aim a Light Touch at Kids|work = Chicago Sun-Times|page=37|date=February 29, 1996}}</ref> In 2005, the documentary film [https://www.lgbthollywood.com/christa-mcauliffe-reach-for-the-stars-film-teacher-in-space-space-shuttle-challenger/ Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars], celebrating the life and legacy of Christa McAuliffe, premiered on the film festival circuit, with screenings at the prestigious [[High Falls Film Festival]] and the [[Santa Barbara International Film Festival|Santa Barbara International Film Festival.]] Directed by Renee Sotile and Mary Jo Godges, the film is narrated by Academy Award winner [[Susan Sarandon]] and features an original song, “Christa’s Song,” written and performed by Grammy Award winner [[Carly Simon]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars |url=https://www.lgbthollywood.com/christa-mcauliffe-reach-for-the-stars-film-teacher-in-space-space-shuttle-challenger/ |access-date=September 28, 2010 |publisher=Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars Official Website}}</ref> January 2006, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Christa McAuliffe’s passing and the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger, [[CNN]] aired Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars over 20 times in the ''[[CNN Presents]]'' format, featuring an on-set introduction and narration by [[Paula Zahn]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.christa.html |title=CNN Presents: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86y0UEsvWTU&t=2s CHRISTA MCAULIFFE: REACH FOR THE STARS] |access-date=September 28, 2010 |publisher=CNN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100919110515/http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.christa.html |archive-date=September 19, 2010 }}</ref> .

McAuliffe's parents worked with Framingham State College to establish the McAuliffe Center.<ref name="Then and Now"/> Her husband, Steven J. McAuliffe, later remarried, and in 1992 became a [[federal judge]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/special/challenger/docs/where.html|title=Their families today|access-date=January 10, 2009|work = Houston Chronicle|year=1996}}</ref> serving with the [[United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire]] in Concord. Her son, Scott, completed graduate studies in [[marine biology]], and her daughter, Caroline, went on to pursue the same career as her mother: teaching.<ref name="Then and Now"/> On July 23, 2004, McAuliffe and all the other 13 astronauts lost in both the ''Challenger'' and ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|Columbia]]'' disasters were posthumously awarded the [[Congressional Space Medal of Honor]] by President [[George W. Bush]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/spacemedal.htm|title=Congressional Space Medal of Honor|access-date=January 9, 2009|publisher = NASA History Division}}</ref>

On January 28, 2016, several teachers who competed alongside McAuliffe for a seat on the ''Challenger'' traveled to [[Cape Canaveral, Florida]], for a 30th anniversary remembrance service, along with her widower, Steven, and son, Scott. After remarking that 30 years had passed, Steven said "''Challenger'' will always be an event that occurred just recently. Our thoughts and memories of Christa will always be fresh and comforting."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/dd026bb4c6f5414282f2eea4a71057e4|title=30 years since Challenger: Teacher-in-Space finalists gather|website=AP NEWS|date=January 28, 2016 }}</ref> In 2017, McAuliffe was inducted into the [[International Air & Space Hall of Fame]] at the [[San Diego Air & Space Museum]].<ref>Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. ''These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame''. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1-57864-397-4}}.</ref>

In 2019, Congress passed the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act which was signed into law by President [[Donald Trump]] on October 9, 2019. The bill allows the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]] to "issue not more than 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe." The [[Christa McAuliffe silver dollar|coins were minted]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Monica|date=March 18, 2021|title=US Mint begins distributing coin commemorating Christa McAuliffe|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/us-mint-begins-distributing-coin-commemorating-christa-mcauliffe/35869219|access-date=November 8, 2021|website=WMUR|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wickham|first=Shawne K.|title=Dean Kamen issues 'call to action' to promote coins honoring Christa McAuliffe|url=https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/dean-kamen-issues-call-to-action-to-promote-coins-honoring-christa-mcauliffe/article_2f0733e9-8a69-54a4-9a14-f40b439abbaa.html|access-date=November 8, 2021|website=UnionLeader.com|date=September 27, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Silver dollar unveiled for fallen 'Teacher in Space' Christa McAuliffe {{!}} collectSPACE|url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-122120a-christa-mcauliffe-dollar-design.html|access-date=November 8, 2021|website=collectSPACE.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Andrew Sylvia|date=October 5, 2021|title=Local dignitaries celebrate National Teachers' Day with Christa McAuliffe coin {{!}} Manchester Ink Link|url=https://manchesterinklink.com/local-dignitaries-celebrate-national-teachers-day-with-christa-mcauliffe-coin/|access-date=November 8, 2021|website=manchesterinklink.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/christa-mcauliffe-challenger-coin-scn-trnd?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9CdOMmhulUqREumM9SygGtKCBVFOjxAwkupx9TqM7H-bWNtxwEV2Ri0_WfnDuoG0AQhD7LbqjbyDyB4c3PSifj8-ruqQ&_hsmi=77588809|access-date=October 20, 2019|publisher=CNN|title=Teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe to be honored by the United States Mint with silver dollar coin|date=September 26, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/239/actions|access-date=October 20, 2019|title=S.239 - Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019|date=October 9, 2019 |publisher=US Congress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.usmint.gov/christa-mcauliffe-2021-proof-silver-dollar-21CH.html?cgid=null&q=Christa&navid=vizsearch| title = United States Mint}}</ref>

On September 2, 2024 - McAuliffe's 76th birthday - a statue of the astronaut was unveiled at the [[New Hampshire State House|New Hampshire State Capitol]]. The statue, sculpted by artist [[Benjamin Victor (sculptor)|Benjamin Victor]], is the first statue of a woman on the state house grounds. Inscribed on the side of the statue's pedestal is a quote from McAuliffe: "I touch the future, I teach".<ref>McCormack, Kathy. [https://apnews.com/article/christa-mcauliffe-statue-new-hampshire-challenger-5487cf9130e726ae7f01f55d9c1861ec "Christa McAuliffe, still pioneering, is first woman with a statue on New Hampshire capitol grounds"]. AP News. Published September 2, 2024. Accessed September 2, 2024.</ref>

The documentary ''Christa: From Ordinary to Extraordinary'' by [[New Hampshire PBS]] looks at her life in new Hampshire and Concord, with people she knew talking about what she wanted for students to know about the role of women in history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wral.com/story/new-documentary-focuses-on-christa-mcauliffe-s-impact-as-a-teacher-in-new-hampshire/21774599/|title=New documentary focuses on Christa McAuliffe’s impact as a teacher in New Hampshire |last1=McCormack|first1=Kathy|last2=Perry|first2=Nick|work=[[WRAL-TV]]|agency=Associated Press|date=December 19, 2024|access-date=December 26, 2024}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="155px">
File:Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Exhibit - Henry Whittemore Library.jpg|The McAuliffe Exhibit in the Henry Whittemore Library at [[Framingham State University]]
File:Christaplanetarium1.jpg|The [[McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center]] (then named the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium as seen on the sign) in [[Concord, New Hampshire]]
File:Christa McAuliffe gravestone in Concord, NH.jpg|McAuliffe's grave in [[Concord, New Hampshire]]
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}


==References==
==References==
*{{Cite book|last1=Burgess | first1=Colin| last2=Corrigan| first2=Grace George|author-link=Colin Burgess (author)|title=Teacher in space: Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger legacy| location=Lincoln, NE |publisher= University of Nebraska Press |year= 2000|isbn=0-8032-6182-9}}.
{{reflist}}
*{{Cite book|last=Corrigan |first=Grace George| title=A Journal for Christa: Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space |location=Lincoln, NE |publisher= University of Nebraska Press |year= 2000|isbn=0-8032-6411-9}}.
*{{Cite book|last=Hohler|first=Robert T.|title="I Touch the Future{{nbsp}}..." The Story of Christa McAuliffe|location=New York |publisher=Random House|year=1986|isbn=0-394-55721-2|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/itouchfuturestor00hohl}}.

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|author=''Washington Post'' Staff|title=Challengers: The Inspiring Life Stories of the Seven Brave Astronauts of Shuttle Mission 51-L|publisher=Pocket Books|location=New York|year=1986|isbn=0-671-62897-6|url=https://archive.org/details/challengersinspi00newy}}.


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Christa McAuliffe}}
* {{findagrave|1601}}
{{Wikiquote|Christa McAuliffe}}
*[https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/mcauliffe.pdf Official NASA biography]
*[http://www.challenger.org/challenger_lessons/christas-lost-lessons/ Christa's Lost Lessons]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100528041008/http://www.framingham.edu/henry-whittemore-library/curriculum-library-archives-and-special-collections/christa-mcauliffe.html The Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Collection at the Henry Whittemore Library in Framingham State College]
*{{IMDb name|0969691}}
*[http://www.starhop.com/ Christa McAuliffe Planetarium]
*[http://www.christa.org/ Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Education and Teaching Excellence]

{{STS-51L}}
{{Congressional Space Medal of Honor}}
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[[Category:Space program fatalities]]
[[Category:American people of Lebanese descent]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from New Hampshire]]
[[Category:20th-century American women educators]]
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[[Category:People from Framingham, Massachusetts]]
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Latest revision as of 19:03, 26 December 2024

Christa McAuliffe
McAuliffe in 1985
Born
Sharon Christa Corrigan

(1948-09-02)September 2, 1948
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 28, 1986(1986-01-28) (aged 37)
North Atlantic Ocean
EducationFramingham State University (BS)
Bowie State University (MA)
Spouse
​
(m. 1970)​
Children2
AwardsCongressional Space Medal of Honor
Space career
NASA Space flight participant[1]
SelectionTeacher in Space Project (1985)
MissionsSTS-51-L (disaster)
Mission insignia

Sharon Christa McAuliffe (née Corrigan; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where she was serving as a payload specialist.[2]

McAuliffe received her bachelor's degree in education and history from Framingham State College in 1970 and her master's degree in education, supervision and administration[3] from Bowie State University in 1978. McAuliffe took a teaching position as a social studies teacher at Concord High School in New Hampshire in 1983.

In 1985, McAuliffe was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to the NASA Teacher in Space Project and was scheduled to become the first teacher to fly in space.[4] As a member of mission STS-51-L, she was planning to conduct experiments and teach two lessons from Challenger. On January 28, 1986, the shuttle broke apart 1 minute 13 seconds after launch, killing all onboard. After her death, several schools were named in her honor, and McAuliffe was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004. In 2024, a statue of McAuliffe was installed on the grounds of the New Hampshire State Capitol.

Early life

[edit]

Sharon Christa Corrigan was born on September 2, 1948, in Boston as the oldest of the five children of accountant Edward Christopher Corrigan (1922–1990), who was of English and Irish descent;[5] and Grace Mary Corrigan (1924–2018; née George), a substitute teacher,[6][7][8] whose father was of Lebanese Maronite descent.[5] McAuliffe was a great niece of Lebanese-American historian Philip Khuri Hitti.[9] McAuliffe was known by her middle name from an early age, and in later years she signed her name "S. Christa Corrigan", and eventually "S. Christa McAuliffe".[10]

The year McAuliffe was born, her father was completing his sophomore year at Boston College.[6] Not long after, he took a job as an assistant comptroller in a Boston department store, and they moved to Framingham, Massachusetts, where McAuliffe attended Marian High School, graduating in 1966.[11] She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in 1970 from Framingham State College, now Framingham State University. As a youth, McAuliffe was inspired by Project Mercury and the Apollo Moon landing program. The day after John Glenn orbited the Earth in Friendship 7, she told a friend at Marian High, "Do you realize that someday people will be going to the Moon? Maybe even taking a bus, and I want to do that!"[12] McAuliffe wrote years later on her NASA application form: "I watched the Space Age being born, and I would like to participate."[6][13]

In 1970, McAuliffe married her longtime boyfriend whom she had known since high school, Steven J. McAuliffe, a 1970 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. The couple moved closer to Washington, D.C., so that he could attend the Georgetown University Law Center.[6][11] They had two children, Scott and Caroline, who were nine and six respectively when she died.[14]

McAuliffe was a teacher at Concord High School in New Hampshire.

McAuliffe obtained her first teaching position in 1970, as an American history teacher at Benjamin Foulois Junior High School in Morningside, Maryland.[15] From 1971 to 1978, she taught history and civics at Thomas Johnson Middle School in Lanham, Maryland. In addition to teaching, McAuliffe completed a Master of Arts in education supervision and administration from Bowie State University in Maryland.[16] In 1978, she moved to Concord, New Hampshire, when Steven accepted a job as an assistant to the New Hampshire Attorney General.[6] McAuliffe taught 7th and 8th grade American history and English in Concord, New Hampshire, and ninth grade English in Bow, New Hampshire, before taking a teaching post at Concord High School in 1983.[17]

McAuliffe was a social studies teacher, and taught several courses including American history, law, and economics, in addition to a self-designed course: "The American Woman".[18] Taking field trips and bringing in speakers were an important part of her teaching techniques. According to The New York Times, McAuliffe "emphasized the impact of ordinary people on history, saying they were as important to the historical record as kings, politicians or generals."[19]

Teacher in Space Project

[edit]
McAuliffe undergoing pre-flight training experiences weightlessness during a KC-135 "vomit comet" flight
McAuliffe (left) and her backup Barbara Morgan (right) try out space food in the canteen of the Johnson Space Center, Sep 10, 1985

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced the Teacher in Space Project, and McAuliffe learned about NASA's efforts to find their first civilian, an educator, to fly into space.[20] NASA wanted to find an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit.[6][15] McAuliffe became one of more than 11,000 applicants.[20]

I cannot join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but this opportunity to connect my abilities as an educator with my interests in history and space is a unique opportunity to fulfill my early fantasies. I will never give up.

—Christa McAuliffe, 1985[21]

NASA hoped that sending a teacher into space would increase public interest in the Space Shuttle program, and also demonstrate the reliability of space flight at a time when the agency was under continuous pressure to find financial support.[22][23][24] President Reagan said it would also remind Americans of the important role that teachers and education serve in their country.[25]

The Council of Chief State School Officers, a non-profit organization of public officials in education, was chosen by NASA to coordinate the selection process.[26] Out of the initial applicant pool, 114 semi-finalists were nominated by state, territorial, and agency review panels. McAuliffe was one of two teachers nominated by the state of New Hampshire.[27] The semi-finalists gathered in Washington, D.C., from June 22–27, 1985, for a conference on space education and to meet with the Review Panel that would select the 10 finalists.[26]

Challenger crew from left to right: (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik

On July 1, 1985, McAuliffe was announced as one of the 10 finalists, and on July 7 she traveled to Johnson Space Center for a week of thorough medical examinations and briefings about space flight.[26] The finalists were interviewed by an evaluation committee composed of senior NASA officials, and the committee made recommendations to NASA Administrator James M. Beggs for the primary and backup candidates for the Teacher in Space Project. On July 19, 1985, Vice President George H. W. Bush announced that McAuliffe had been selected for the position. Another teacher, Barbara Morgan, served as her backup.[28] According to Mark Travis of the Concord Monitor, it was McAuliffe's manner that set her apart from the other candidates.[27] NASA official Alan Ladwig said "she had an infectious enthusiasm", and NASA psychiatrist Terrence McGuire told New Woman magazine that "she was the most broad-based, best-balanced person of the 10."[27]

Later that year, McAuliffe and Morgan each took a year-long leave of absence from teaching in order to train for a Space Shuttle mission in early 1986.[6][29] NASA paid both their salaries. While not a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps, McAuliffe was to be part of the STS-51-L crew, and would conduct experiments and teach lessons from space. Her planned duties included basic science experiments in the fields of chromatography, hydroponics, magnetism, and Newton's laws.[30] She was also planning to conduct two 15-minute classes from space, including a tour of the spacecraft, called "The Ultimate Field Trip", and a lesson about the benefits of space travel, called "Where We've Been, Where We're Going, Why".[15][31] The lessons were to be broadcast to millions of schoolchildren via closed-circuit TV. To record her thoughts, McAuliffe intended to keep a personal journal like a "woman on the Conestoga wagons pioneering the West."[32]

After being chosen to be the first teacher in space, McAuliffe was a guest on several television programs, including Good Morning America; the CBS Morning News; the Today Show; and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where, when asked about the mission, she stated, "If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat. Just get on."[33] She had an immediate rapport with the media, and the Teacher in Space Project received popular attention as a result.[6]

Disaster and aftermath

[edit]
Main article: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
McAuliffe and Barbara Morgan

On January 28, 1986, McAuliffe boarded Challenger with the other six crew members of STS-51-L. Only 73 seconds into its flight at an altitude of 48,000 ft (14.630 km), the shuttle broke apart, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.[6][34]

According to NASA, the accident had such a significant effect on the nation in part because of the excitement over McAuliffe's presence on the shuttle. Many schoolchildren were viewing the launch live, and media coverage of the accident was extensive.[35]

Barbara Morgan, her backup, became a professional astronaut in January 1998,[29] and flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-118, to the International Space Station, on August 8, 2007, aboard Endeavour, the orbiter that replaced Challenger.[29][36]

Legacy

[edit]

McAuliffe was buried at Blossom Hill Cemetery in her hometown of Concord.[37] McAuliffe has since been honored at many events, including the Daytona 500 NASCAR race in 1986.[38] The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Education and Teaching Excellence at Framingham State University, the Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School in Brooklyn, NY, the McAuliffe Branch Library in Framingham, MA, the Christa McAuliffe Adult Learning Center in Baton Rouge, LA, the S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Lowell, Massachusetts, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Sammamish, Washington and Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson, NJ, Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Bay City, MI, and The Christa McAuliffe Residential Community (CMRC) dorm and wellness center on the campus of her alma mater of Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, were named in her memory,[39][40][41][42] as are the asteroid 3352 McAuliffe,[43] the crater McAuliffe on the Moon,[44][45] and a crater on the planet Venus, which was named McAuliffe by the Soviet Union.[46] Approximately 40 schools around the world have been named after McAuliffe, including the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah.[47][48] Christa McAuliffe Park in Green Bay, WI is named after her.

Scholarships and other events have also been established in McAuliffe's memory. The Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference has been held in Nashua, New Hampshire, every year since 1986, and is devoted to the use of technology in all aspects of education.[49] The Nebraska McAuliffe Prize honors a Nebraska teacher each year for courage and excellence in education.[50] Grants in McAuliffe's name, honoring innovative teachers, are provided by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the National Council for the Social Studies.[51][52]

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah, teaches school children about space, and is visited by students from around the world. It has a number of space flight simulators. The center was started in 1990 by Victor Williamson, an educator at Central Elementary School. It is a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) building added onto Central Elementary. It aims to teach astronomy and social studies through the use of simulators; the first, Voyager, proved itself popular, and a new planetarium was added in 2020. As the years passed, the demand for flights expanded and new ships were commissioned.[53]

McAuliffe was portrayed by Karen Allen in the 1990 TV movie Challenger.[54] In October 2018, it was announced that Michelle Williams was cast to portray McAuliffe in The Challenger, another retelling of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.[55][56] In 2019, McAuliffe was portrayed by Erika Waldorf in the independent film The Challenger Disaster. The spaceship on the 1996–1997 children's science-fiction series Space Cases, about a group of students lost in space, was called Christa.[57] In 2005, the documentary film Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars, celebrating the life and legacy of Christa McAuliffe, premiered on the film festival circuit, with screenings at the prestigious High Falls Film Festival and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Directed by Renee Sotile and Mary Jo Godges, the film is narrated by Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon and features an original song, “Christa’s Song,” written and performed by Grammy Award winner Carly Simon.[58] January 2006, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Christa McAuliffe’s passing and the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger, CNN aired Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars over 20 times in the CNN Presents format, featuring an on-set introduction and narration by Paula Zahn.[59] .

McAuliffe's parents worked with Framingham State College to establish the McAuliffe Center.[47] Her husband, Steven J. McAuliffe, later remarried, and in 1992 became a federal judge,[60] serving with the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire in Concord. Her son, Scott, completed graduate studies in marine biology, and her daughter, Caroline, went on to pursue the same career as her mother: teaching.[47] On July 23, 2004, McAuliffe and all the other 13 astronauts lost in both the Challenger and Columbia disasters were posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush.[61]

On January 28, 2016, several teachers who competed alongside McAuliffe for a seat on the Challenger traveled to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a 30th anniversary remembrance service, along with her widower, Steven, and son, Scott. After remarking that 30 years had passed, Steven said "Challenger will always be an event that occurred just recently. Our thoughts and memories of Christa will always be fresh and comforting."[62] In 2017, McAuliffe was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[63]

In 2019, Congress passed the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on October 9, 2019. The bill allows the Department of the Treasury to "issue not more than 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe." The coins were minted in 2021.[64][65][66][67][68][69][70]

On September 2, 2024 - McAuliffe's 76th birthday - a statue of the astronaut was unveiled at the New Hampshire State Capitol. The statue, sculpted by artist Benjamin Victor, is the first statue of a woman on the state house grounds. Inscribed on the side of the statue's pedestal is a quote from McAuliffe: "I touch the future, I teach".[71]

The documentary Christa: From Ordinary to Extraordinary by New Hampshire PBS looks at her life in new Hampshire and Concord, with people she knew talking about what she wanted for students to know about the role of women in history.[72]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "Astronaut Biographies: Space Flight Participant". NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. December 5, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  2. ^ "Biographical data" (PDF).
  3. ^ Hohler, Robert T. (1986). "I Touch the Future ..." The Story of Christa McAuliffe. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 0-394-55721-2.
  4. ^ "Teachers in Space: A Chronology". Education Week: Vol. 17, Issue 20, p.12. January 28, 1998. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Corrigan 2000, p. 21
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Crew of the Challenger Shuttle Mission in 1986". NASA. October 22, 2004. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  7. ^ "Edward C. Corrigan, Astronaut's Father, 67". The New York Times. January 28, 1990. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  8. ^ Corrigan 2000, p. 156
  9. ^ "20 Years Later...Remembering Lebanese American Astronaut Christa McAuliffe" (PDF). Lebanese Monthly Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 2. February 2006. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  10. ^ Burgess & Corrigan 2000, pp. 6–7
  11. ^ a b Corrigan 2000, p. 40
  12. ^ Burgess & Corrigan 2000, p. 10
  13. ^ Burgess & Corrigan 2000, pp. 9–10
  14. ^ Corrigan 2000, p. 123
  15. ^ a b c Staff writer (January 28, 1986). "McAuliffe: Teacher on 'Ultimate Field Trip'". The Washington Post. p. A10. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  16. ^ "Christa McAuliffe 1948–1986". Framingham State College – Henry Whittemore Library. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  17. ^ Application for NASA Teacher in Space Program: Sharon Christa McAuliffe can be found in the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Special Collections at Whittemore Library at Framingham State University "Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Papers, 1948-2000". Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  18. ^ Burgess & Corrigan 2000, pp. 15–16
  19. ^ "The Shuttle Explosion, The Seven Who Perished in The Explosion of The Challenger". The New York Times. January 29, 1986. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  20. ^ a b "The Challenger Story:Teacher in Space". Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  21. ^ Ware, Susan; Stacy Lorraine Braukman, eds. (2004). Notable American Women. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 425. ISBN 0-674-01488-X.
  22. ^ "On anniversary, some reflect on lessons learned". NBC News. Associated Press. January 28, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  23. ^ Vaughan, Diane (1996). The Challenger launch decision: risky technology, culture, and deviance at NASA. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p. 16. ISBN 0-226-85176-1.
  24. ^ "Chapter VIII: Pressures on the System". Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. NASA. June 6, 1986. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  25. ^ "Remarks at a Ceremony Honoring the 1983–1984 Winners in the Secondary School Recognition Program". The American Presidency Project. August 27, 1984. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  26. ^ a b c "SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION STS-51L Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. January 1986. pp. 22–25. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  27. ^ a b c Travis, Mark (January 26, 2006). "An inspired choice for an extraordinary role". Concord Monitor. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  28. ^ "Remarks of the Vice President Announcing the Winner of the Teacher in Space Project". The American Presidency Project. July 19, 1985. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  29. ^ a b c "Barbara Radding Morgan – NASA Astronaut biography". NASA. 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  30. ^ "Christa's Lost Lessons". Space Educators' Handbook – OMB/NASA Report #S677/Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  31. ^ Magnuson, Ed (June 24, 2001). "They Slipped the Surly Bonds of Earth to Touch". Time. Archived from the original on July 7, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  32. ^ "Teacher embraced historic chance". Telegraph Herald. United Press International. January 28, 1986. p. 13.
  33. ^ Belman, Felice; Mike Pride (2001). The New Hampshire Century: Concord Monitor Profiles of One Hundred People Who Shaped It. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. p. 4. ISBN 1-58465-087-7.
  34. ^ Kerwin, Joseph P. (1986). "Challenger crew cause and time of death". NASA. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
  35. ^ Wright, John C.; Dale Kunkel; Marites Pinon; Aletha C. Huston (Spring 1989). "How Children Reacted to Televised Coverage of the Space Shuttle Disaster". Journal of Communication. 39 (2): 27. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1989.tb01027.x.
  36. ^ "NASA Orbiter Fleet – Space Shuttle Overview: Endeavour (OV-105)". NASA/Kennedy Space Center. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  37. ^ Hohler, Bob (January 21, 1996). "McAuliffe's legacy 'keeps us reaching for the stars'". Boston Globe.
  38. ^ "Elliott has competition in Daytona 500". Philadelphia Daily News. February 15, 1986. p. 35, Sports.
  39. ^ Tirrell-Wysocki, David (March 31, 2009). "McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center honors New Hampshire astronauts". The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  40. ^ "Centers & Institutes". Framingham State College. Archived from the original on September 20, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  41. ^ "schools.nyc.gov". web. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  42. ^ "McAuliffe Branch". Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  43. ^ "NASA to put probe to the test: New technologies to be tried in flight". The Washington Times. September 14, 1997.
  44. ^ Burgess & Corrigan 2000, p. 103
  45. ^ McAuliffe crater, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
  46. ^ "The Magellan Venus Explorer's Guide: Chapter 8 What's in a Name?". NASA JPL Publication 90-24. August 1990. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  47. ^ a b c "Then & Now: Grace Corrigan". CNN. August 15, 2005. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  48. ^ Kapos, Katherine (December 2, 1990). "School Launches Jaunts to Outer Space". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. B3.
  49. ^ "22nd Annual Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference". New Hampshire School Administrators Association. 2008. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
  50. ^ "Do You Know a Courageous Teacher?". University of Nebraska-Lincoln: College of Education and Human Sciences. 2008. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  51. ^ "Christa McAuliffe Award". American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  52. ^ "Christa McAuliffe Reach for the Stars Award". National Council for the Social Studies. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  53. ^ "Christa McAuliffe Space Center - About". Christa McAuliffe Space Center. June 8, 2013.
  54. ^ Saunders, Dusty (February 25, 1990). "'CHALLENGER' Playing McAuliffe Provided Karen Allen with the Greatest Challenge of her Career". Rocky Mountain News.
  55. ^ McNary, Dave (October 2, 2018). "Michelle Williams to Play Astronaut Christa McAuliffe in 'The Challenger'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  56. ^ Alter, Ethan (August 7, 2019). "Michelle Williams on 'After the Wedding' ending, equal pay and reveals she's ready for 'Venom 2': 'I'm in'". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  57. ^ Grahnke, Lon (February 29, 1996). "2 New Series Fire Up Sci-Fi Shows Aim a Light Touch at Kids". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 37.
  58. ^ "Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars". Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars Official Website. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  59. ^ "CNN Presents: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86y0UEsvWTU&t=2s CHRISTA MCAULIFFE: REACH FOR THE STARS]". CNN. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  60. ^ "Their families today". Houston Chronicle. 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  61. ^ "Congressional Space Medal of Honor". NASA History Division. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  62. ^ "30 years since Challenger: Teacher-in-Space finalists gather". AP NEWS. January 28, 2016.
  63. ^ Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4.
  64. ^ Hernandez, Monica (March 18, 2021). "US Mint begins distributing coin commemorating Christa McAuliffe". WMUR. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  65. ^ Wickham, Shawne K. (September 27, 2021). "Dean Kamen issues 'call to action' to promote coins honoring Christa McAuliffe". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  66. ^ "Silver dollar unveiled for fallen 'Teacher in Space' Christa McAuliffe | collectSPACE". collectSPACE.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  67. ^ Andrew Sylvia (October 5, 2021). "Local dignitaries celebrate National Teachers' Day with Christa McAuliffe coin | Manchester Ink Link". manchesterinklink.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  68. ^ "Teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe to be honored by the United States Mint with silver dollar coin". CNN. September 26, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  69. ^ "S.239 - Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019". US Congress. October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  70. ^ "United States Mint".
  71. ^ McCormack, Kathy. "Christa McAuliffe, still pioneering, is first woman with a statue on New Hampshire capitol grounds". AP News. Published September 2, 2024. Accessed September 2, 2024.
  72. ^ McCormack, Kathy; Perry, Nick (December 19, 2024). "New documentary focuses on Christa McAuliffe's impact as a teacher in New Hampshire". WRAL-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved December 26, 2024.

References

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Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christa McAuliffe.
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