Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an 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. Image File history File links Question_book-new. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 415 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (624 × 901 pixels, file size: 152 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the area of Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... For university teachers, see professor. ... Logo of the Teacher in Space Project The Teacher in Space Project (TISP) was a NASA program announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur excitement in math, science, and space exploration. ... The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... STS-51-L INSIGNIA The STS-51-L crewmembers designed this insignia to represent their participation in NASAs mission aboard the Challenger, depicted launching from Florida and soaring into space to carry out a variety of goals. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Location in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Merrimack County Incorporated 1733  - City Manager Thomas J. Aspell, Jr. ... Logo of the Teacher in Space Project The Teacher in Space Project (TISP) was a NASA program announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur excitement in math, science, and space exploration. ... For further information about Challengers mission and crew, see STS-51-L. The iconic image of Space Shuttle Challengers smoke plume after its breakup 73 seconds after launch. ...

Early life

Born Sharon Christa Corrigan on September 2, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts, McAuliffe was the oldest of five children of Edward and Grace George Corrigan. Her mother, born Grace George, is of part Maronite Lebanese origin through her father (Christa's grandfather) and is a niece of historian Philip Hitti.^[2] The year Christa was born, her father was completing his 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 in 1966. As a youth, she was inspired by the 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!" is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Boston redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... Philip Khuri Hitti (1886 - 1978), born in Shimlan, Lebanon, was a Western scholar of Islam. ... Boston College (BC) is a private university located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, in the New England region of the United States. ... Look up comptroller in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The interior of a typical Macy*s department store. ... Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Middlesex County Settled 1650 Incorporated 1700 Government  - Type Representative town meeting Area  - Town  26. ... Marian High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Framingham, Massachusetts. ... Project Apollo was a series of human spaceflight missions undertaken by the United States of America (NASA) using the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn launch vehicle, conducted during the years 1961 – 1975. ...

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. Framingham State College is a public college offering liberal arts and science programs. ... Steven J. McAuliffe (born 1948, Cambridge, Massachusetts) is an American attorney and judge, currently Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law), is Georgetown Universitys law school, located in Washington, D.C., United States. ...

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 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 in 1982. She was a Social Studies teacher and taught several courses including "American Culture", "Economics", "American Foreign Policy", and Womans 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. Pre-Colonial America For details, see the main Pre-Colonial America article. ... Social studies is a term used to describe the broad study of the various fields which involve past and current human behavior and interactions. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ... Diverse women. ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ... Bowie State University (Bowie State), located on 338½ acres (1. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... Location in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Merrimack County Incorporated 1733  - City Manager Thomas J. Aspell, Jr. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Concord High School is a high school in Concord, New Hampshire in the United States. ... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgement and wisdom. ... This article is about the space vehicle. ...

Teacher in Space Project

Main article: 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. Logo of the Teacher in Space Project The Teacher in Space Project (TISP) was a NASA program announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur excitement in math, science, and space exploration. ... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... For other persons named Barbara Morgan, see Barbara Morgan (disambiguation). ... This article is about the television host. ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an Emmy Award-winning American television host and comedian. ... Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (born August 25, 1931) is an Emmy Award-winning American television personality and occasional actor known for his roles as a talk show host, game show host, and presenter at various events. ... Logo of the Teacher in Space Project The Teacher in Space Project (TISP) was a NASA program announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur excitement in math, science, and space exploration. ...

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 Endeavour (the orbiter that replaced Challenger) to the International Space Station on August 8, 2007, 21 years after the Challenger disaster. STS-118 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105), is the fifth and final operational NASA space shuttle. ... ISS redirects here. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For further information about Challengers mission and crew, see STS-51-L. The iconic image of Space Shuttle Challengers smoke plume after its breakup 73 seconds after launch. ...

Legacy

The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord, New Hampshire

She was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.^[3] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (816x608, 113 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (816x608, 113 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Location in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Merrimack County Incorporated 1733  - City Manager Thomas J. Aspell, Jr. ... Congressional Space Medal of Honor The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind. ...

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 on the Moon. At least 35 schools have been named after her, including Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Lake Worth, Florida, 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. 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. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 mile (805 km) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. ... Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. ... Location in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Merrimack County Incorporated 1733  - City Manager Thomas J. Aspell, Jr. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... Pleasant Grove is a city located in Utah County, Utah. ... 3352 McAuliffe is an Amor and Mars-crosser asteroid which was discovered by Norman G. Thomas on February 6, 1981. ... McAuliffe is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the Moons far side. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... McAllen is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. ... Myrtle Beach is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. ... Myrtle Beach is a city located in Horry County, South Carolina. ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ... Ronald Erwin McNair, Ph. ... Roanoke County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

McAuliffe was portrayed by Karen Allen in the 1990 TV movie 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.^[4] It commemorated the 20th anniversary of her death. The 75 minute feature version narrated by Susan Sarandon with songs by Carly Simon. Karen Jane Allen (born October 5, 1951) is an American actress most famous for her roles in the films National Lampoons Animal House (1978), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Starman (1984), and The Sandlot (1993). ... Challenger is a film based on the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ...

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.^[5] This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see New Hampshire (disambiguation). ...

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. A federal judge is a judge appointed in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution. ... The United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of New Hampshire. ...

In the And Now A Word From Us Kids section in the PBS Kids 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. First official kids ident from PBS, used from 1993-1999 featuring the P pals. ... Arthur is an American and Canadian educational television series for children, which airs primarily on PBS in the United States; Radio-Canada, Knowledge Network and TVO in Canada; and BBC One in the UK, among other stations and networks. ...

The McAuliffe star system in the 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. Wing Commander I title screen Wing Commander is a media franchise consisting of space combat simulation computer games from Origin Systems, Inc. ... Space Cases is a science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. ... Dan Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. ... Deception Point book cover Deception Point (2001) is a thriller novel by Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, and Digital Fortress. ... This article is about the television series. ...

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.

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. The Schoolhouse Blizzard, also known as the Schoolchildrens Blizzard (or The Childrens Blizzard), hit the U.S. plains states on January 12, 1888. ...

Quotes

• 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 touch the future. I teach.
• 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.
• What are we doing here? We're reaching for the stars.

References

External links

• Christa McAuliffe at Find A Grave