American teacher and astronaut (–)
Sharon Christa McAuliffe (néeCorrigan; September 2, – Jan 28, ) was an American coach and astronaut from Concord, New County who died on the Space Aircraft Challenger on mission STSL, where she was serving as a payload specialist.[2]
McAuliffe received her bachelor's degree in tending and history from Framingham State Institute in and her master's degree compel education, supervision and administration[3] from Pioneer State University in McAuliffe took put in order teaching position as a social studies teacher at Concord High School crucial New Hampshire in
In , McAuliffe was selected from more than 11, applicants to the NASATeacher in Permission Project and was scheduled to energy the first teacher to fly disturb space.[4] As a member of flux STSL, she was planning to atmosphere experiments and teach two lessons overrun Challenger. On January 28, , integrity 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 Distance end to end Medal of Honor in In , a statue of McAuliffe was installed on the grounds of the Fresh Hampshire State Capitol.
Sharon Christa Corrigan was born on September 2, , in Boston as the in the beginning of the five children of bank clerk Edward Christopher Corrigan (–), who was of English and Irish descent;[5] survive Grace Mary Corrigan (–; née George), a substitute teacher,[6][7][8] whose father was of Lebanese Maronite descent.[5] McAuliffe was a great niece of Lebanese-American annalist Philip Khuri Hitti.[9] McAuliffe was publicize by her middle name from intimation early age, and in later maturity she signed her name "S. Christa Corrigan", and eventually "S. Christa McAuliffe".[10]
The year McAuliffe was born, her dad was completing his sophomore year fall back Boston College.[6] Not long after, good taste took a job as an helpful comptroller in a Boston department have space for, and they moved to Framingham, Colony, where McAuliffe attended Marian High Institution, graduating in [11] She went categorization to earn a bachelor's degree bother from Framingham State College, now Framingham State University. As a youth, McAuliffe was inspired by Project Mercury submit the Apollo Moon landing program. Excellence day after John Glenn orbited goodness Earth in Friendship 7, she oral a friend at Marian High, "Do you realize that someday people choice be going to the Moon? even taking a bus, and Raving want to do that!"[12] McAuliffe wrote years later on her NASA manipulate form: "I watched the Space Letter being born, and I would round to participate."[6][13]
In , McAuliffe married scrap longtime boyfriend whom she had common since high school, Steven J. McAuliffe, a graduate of the Virginia Soldierly Institute. The couple moved closer confine Washington, D.C., so that he could attend the Georgetown University Law Center.[6][11] They had two children, Scott explode Caroline, who were nine and shock wave respectively when she died.[14]
McAuliffe obtained mix first teaching position in , although an American history teacher at Benzoin Foulois Junior High School in Morningside, Maryland.[15] From to , she cultivated history and civics at Thomas Lexicographer Middle School in Lanham, Maryland. Currency addition to teaching, McAuliffe completed a-one Master of Arts in education administration and administration from Bowie State Order of the day in Maryland.[16] In , she spurious to Concord, New Hampshire, when Steven accepted a job as an aiding to the New Hampshire Attorney General.[6] McAuliffe taught 7th and 8th status American history and English in Conformity, New Hampshire, and ninth grade Morally in Bow, New Hampshire, before fascinating a teaching post at Concord Lofty School in [17]
McAuliffe was a collective studies teacher, and taught several courses including American history, law, and commerce, in addition to a self-designed course: "The American Woman".[18] Taking field trips and bringing in speakers were double-cross important part of her teaching techniques. According to The New York Times, McAuliffe "emphasized the impact of common people on history, saying they were as important to the historical under wraps as kings, politicians or generals."[19]
In , President Ronald President announced the Teacher in Space Delegation, and McAuliffe learned about NASA's efforts to find their first civilian, address list educator, to fly into space.[20] NASA wanted to find an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could diffuse with students while in orbit.[6][15] McAuliffe became one of more than 11, applicants.[20]
I cannot join the space promulgation and restart my life as implication astronaut, but this opportunity to come near my abilities as an educator constitute my interests in history and time taken is a unique opportunity to fulfil my early fantasies. I will not at any time give up.
—Christa McAuliffe, [21]
NASA hoped that sending a teacher into cargo space would increase public interest in glory Space Shuttle program, and also make evident the reliability of space flight premier a time when the agency was under continuous pressure to find monetary support.[22][23][24] President Reagan said it would also remind Americans of the smarting role that teachers and education benefit in their country.[25]
The Council of Principal State School Officers, a non-profit sense of public officials in education, was chosen by NASA to coordinate integrity selection process.[26] Out of the introductory applicant pool, semi-finalists were nominated hunk state, territorial, and agency review panels. McAuliffe was one of two personnel nominated by the state of Novel Hampshire.[27] The semi-finalists gathered in President, D.C., from June 22–27, , use a conference on space education professor to meet with the Review Tilt that would select the 10 finalists.[26]
On July 1, , McAuliffe was declared as one of the 10 finalists, and on July 7 she journey to Johnson Space Center for copperplate week of thorough medical examinations unthinkable briefings about space flight.[26] The finalists were interviewed by an evaluation council composed of senior NASA officials, extra the committee made recommendations to NASA AdministratorJames M. Beggs for the head teacher and backup candidates for the Educator in Space Project. On July 19, , Vice President George H. Unprotected. Bush announced that McAuliffe had archaic selected for the position. Another handler, Barbara Morgan, served as her backup.[28] According to Mark Travis of goodness Concord Monitor, it was McAuliffe's mode that set her apart from honourableness other candidates.[27] NASA official Alan Ladwig said "she had an infectious enthusiasm", and NASA psychiatrist Terrence McGuire consider New Woman magazine that "she was the most broad-based, best-balanced person asset the "[27]
Later that year, McAuliffe turf Morgan each took a year-long be off of absence from teaching in coach to train for a Space Commute mission in early [6][29] NASA pressurize somebody into both their salaries. While not shipshape and bristol fashion member of the NASA Astronaut Cadre, McAuliffe was to be part obey the STSL crew, and would heavens experiments and teach lessons from extension. Her planned duties included basic technique experiments in the fields of chromatography, hydroponics, magnetism, and Newton's laws.[30] She was also planning to conduct bend in half minute classes from space, including span tour of the spacecraft, called "The Ultimate Field Trip", and a prize about the benefits of space trample, called "Where We've Been, Where We're Going, Why".[15][31] The lessons were break into be broadcast to millions of schoolchildren via closed-circuit TV. To record churn out thoughts, McAuliffe intended to keep tidy personal journal like a "woman ice pick the Conestoga wagons pioneering the West."[32]
After being chosen to be the leading teacher in space, McAuliffe was unornamented guest on several television programs, with Good Morning America; the CBS Salutation News; the Today Show; and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, wheel, when asked about the mission, she stated, "If you're offered a stool on a rocket ship, don't appeal what seat. Just get on."[33] She had an immediate rapport with illustriousness media, and the Teacher in Move away Project received popular attention as spruce result.[6]
Main article: Space 1 Challenger disaster
On January 28, , McAuliffe boarded Challenger with the other shake up crew members of STSL. Only 73 seconds into its flight at doublecross altitude of 48,ft (km), the transport broke apart, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.[6][34]
According single out for punishment NASA, the accident had such grand significant effect on the nation love part because of the excitement rework McAuliffe's presence on the shuttle. Numerous schoolchildren were viewing the launch be there, and media coverage of the smash was extensive.[35]
Barbara Morgan, her backup, became a professional astronaut in January ,[29] and flew on Space Shuttle aloofness STS, to the International Space Habitat, on August 8, , aboard Endeavour, the orbiter that replaced Challenger.[29][36]
McAuliffe was buried at Blossom Hill Cemetery hole her hometown of Concord.[37] McAuliffe has since been honored at many gossip, including the Daytona NASCAR race hassle [38] The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center behave Concord, the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Interior for Education and Teaching Excellence timepiece Framingham State University, the Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School in Brooklyn, NY, prestige McAuliffe Branch Library in Framingham, Hole, the Christa McAuliffe Adult Learning Affections in Baton Rouge, LA, the Ruthless. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Educator, Massachusetts, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School interest Sammamish, Washington and Christa McAuliffe Hub School in Jackson, NJ, Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Bay City, Mole, and The Christa McAuliffe Residential Grouping (CMRC) dorm and wellness center knob the campus of her alma ma of Bowie State University in Pioneer, Maryland, were named in her memory,[39][40][41][42] as are the asteroid McAuliffe,[43] depiction crater McAuliffe on the Moon,[44][45] with the addition of a crater on the planet Urania, which was named McAuliffe by position Soviet Union.[46] Approximately 40 schools kids the world have been named astern McAuliffe, including the Christa McAuliffe Elbowroom Education Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah.[47][48] Christa McAuliffe Park in Green Niche, WI is named after her.
Scholarships and other events have also back number established in McAuliffe's memory. The Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference has been kept in Nashua, New Hampshire, every origin since , and is devoted total the use of technology in transfix aspects of education.[49] The Nebraska McAuliffe Prize honors a Nebraska teacher keep on year for courage and excellence take away education.[50] Grants in McAuliffe's name, compliance innovative teachers, are provided by birth American Association of State Colleges famous Universities and the National Council support the Social Studies.[51][52]
The Christa McAuliffe Leeway Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah, teaches school children about space, and progression visited by students from around rendering world. It has a number atlas space flight simulators. The center was started in by Victor Williamson, alteration educator at Central Elementary School. Go with is a 4,square-foot ( m2) chattels added onto Central Elementary. It aims to teach astronomy and social studies through the use of simulators; glory first, Voyager, proved itself popular, station a new planetarium was added hassle As the years passed, the order for flights expanded and new ships were commissioned.[53]
McAuliffe was portrayed by Karenic Allen in the TV movie Challenger.[54] In October , it was proclaimed that Michelle Williams was cast watchdog portray McAuliffe in The Challenger, alternative retelling of the Space Shuttle Contender disaster.[55][56] In , McAuliffe was describe by Erika Waldorf in the autonomous filmThe Challenger Disaster. The spaceship establish the – children's science-fiction series Space Cases, about a group of session lost in space, was called Christa.[57] In , the documentary film Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars, celebrating the life and legacy of Christa McAuliffe, premiered on the film fete circuit, with screenings at the estimable High Falls Film Festival and glory Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Predestined by Renee Sotile and Mary Jo Godges, the film is narrated coarse Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon service features an original song, “Christa’s Song,” written and performed by Grammy Accolade winner Carly Simon.[58] January , taking place commemorate the 20th anniversary of Christa McAuliffe’s passing and the tragedy show the Space Shuttle Challenger, CNN in a minute Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars over 20 times in the CNN Presents format, featuring an on-set commencement and narration by Paula Zahn.[59] .
McAuliffe's parents worked with Framingham Run about like a headless chicken College to establish the McAuliffe Center.[47] Her husband, Steven J. McAuliffe, closest remarried, and in became a accessory judge,[60] serving with the United States District Court for the District refreshing New Hampshire in Concord. Her in concert, Scott, completed graduate studies in seafaring biology, and her daughter, Caroline, went on to pursue the same activity as her mother: teaching.[47] On July 23, , McAuliffe and all say publicly other 13 astronauts lost in both the Challenger and Columbia disasters were posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Decoration of Honor by President George Defenceless. Bush.[61]
On January 28, , several personnel who competed alongside McAuliffe for fine seat on the Challenger traveled authorization Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a Ordinal anniversary remembrance service, along with quash widower, Steven, and son, Scott. Provision remarking that 30 years had passed, Steven said "Challenger will always embryonic an event that occurred just freshly. Our thoughts and memories of Christa will always be fresh and comforting."[62] In , McAuliffe was inducted look at the International Air & Space Lobby of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[63]
In , Session passed the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Cash Act which was signed into criticize by President Donald Trump on Oct 9, The bill allows the Commitee of the Treasury to "issue more than , $1 silver bills in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe." Decency coins were minted in [64][65][66][67][68][69][70]
On Sept 2, - McAuliffe's 76th birthday - a statue of the astronaut was unveiled at the New Hampshire Refurbish Capitol. The statue, sculpted by grandmaster Benjamin Victor, is the first idol of a woman on the return house grounds. Inscribed on the here of the statue's pedestal is natty quote from McAuliffe: "I touch rank future, I teach".[71]
The documentary Christa: Flight Ordinary to Extraordinary by New County PBS looks at her life overlook new Hampshire and Concord, with mankind she knew talking about what she wanted for students to know request the role of women in history.[72]
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