Christa McAuliffe

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38 Years Later, Home State Gives Christa McAuliffe a Fitting Honor

Teacher killed in the space shuttle disaster is first woman with a statue at New Hampshire statehouse

(Newser) - Decades after she was picked to be America's first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe is still a pioneer—this time as the first woman to be memorialized on the grounds of New Hampshire's Statehouse in Concord, the city where she taught high school. McAuliffe was 37 when she...

A Poem Helped Reagan Explain Challenger Disaster

Challenger exploded 30 years ago Thursday

(Newser) - Thursday is the 30th anniversary of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, and there's plenty of interesting coverage of the tragedy that killed all seven aboard, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. Some highlights:
  • The Washington Post looks back on how Ronald Reagan scrapped plans to deliver his State of
...

Boots, Beads: NASA Honors Its Fallen Astronauts

Exhibit offers touching tribute to those on board Challenger, Columbia

(Newser) - The 14 display cases at Kennedy Space Center contain intensely personal mementoes and items representing the astronauts who perished in the Challenger and Columbia accidents. They are part of NASA's new "Forever Remembered" exhibit, which includes the first public display of pieces from each lost space shuttle. NASA'...

'Big Bird' Almost Went Up in Challenger Shuttle

'It made my scalp crawl to think I was supposed to be on that'

(Newser) - Big Bird was almost a passenger on the doomed Challenger space shuttle in 1986. Caroll Spinney, who has played the Sesame Street character for 46 years, has a new documentary—I Am Big Bird—and he discussed the dark tidbit while discussing the film with Today . NASA thought that if...

First Teacher Rockets to Space
First Teacher Rockets to Space
Aug 9, 2007 4:42 AM CDT

First Teacher Rockets to Space

Endeavour launches without a hitch 21 years after McAuliffe tragedy

(Newser) - Former schoolteacher Barbara Morgan safely reached space last night when the shuttle Endeavour rocketed through a problem-free launch. Ten minutes after its evening blastoff, the shuttle was orbiting 140 miles above the Earth in preparation for docking with the International Space Station tomorrow. Morgan is the first astronaut teacher since...

All Systems Go for Teacher
All Systems Go for Teacher
Aug 8, 2007 1:48 PM CDT

All Systems Go for Teacher

Long wait for Morgan, Endeavour set to end with evening launch

(Newser) - Countdown is continuing in Florida toward blastoff for the space shuttle Endeavour, the Orlando Sentinel reports, with an 80% chance of favorable conditions at tonight's scheduled launch time of 6:36pm Eastern. Teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, a backup to the educator killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster, has brought national attention...

US Teacher Headed for Space
US Teacher Headed
for Space
Aug 6, 2007 8:02 AM CDT

US Teacher Headed for Space

NASA readies educator 21 years after Challenger disaster

(Newser) - NASA is sending another schoolteacher into space, 21 years after the Challenger disaster killed educator Christa McAuliffe. Barbara Morgan, a former Idaho schoolteacher and now a fully trained astronaut, will spend most of the trip transferring cargo to the International Space Station and about six hours on educational pursuits. When...

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