Christa McAuliffe

Hello! My name is Christa McAuliffe. I was born on September 2nd, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts. As a young girl growing up during the exciting era of the Space Race, I was completely fascinated by the stars and the idea of space travel. I remember in 1962, when I was a teenager, watching astronaut John Glenn become the first American to orbit the Earth. That moment filled me with a sense of wonder and made me feel like anything was possible. Even though I dreamed of the cosmos, my heart was also set on becoming a teacher. I truly believed that teachers had the most important job in the world because they held the future in their hands by shaping the minds of the next generation.

After high school, I attended Framingham State College and graduated in 1970, which was a very big year for me. It was the same year I married my wonderful husband, Steven. I began my career as a high school teacher, where I taught American history and social studies. I was determined not to let my classes be about memorizing boring names and dates from a textbook. I wanted to make history come alive for my students. I loved creating special hands-on projects and organizing field trips that would help them feel a real connection to the past. In 1978, I continued my own education and earned my master's degree in education from Bowie State University. My life was full and happy as our family grew to include my son, Scott, and my daughter, Caroline. Being a mother and a teacher was my whole world.

Then, in 1984, my life took an unexpected and exciting turn when I heard about an incredible opportunity from NASA. They had just announced the Teacher in Space Project. The goal was to find one ordinary, dedicated teacher to travel into space on the Space Shuttle and teach lessons to students from orbit. As soon as I heard about it, I thought, 'This is the ultimate field trip!'. It was a perfect blend of my two greatest passions: teaching and the wonder of space. I spent weeks carefully writing my application, pouring my heart into explaining my dream of connecting students across the country directly to the grand adventure of space exploration. I knew it was a long shot, as I was one of more than 11,000 teachers who applied. I never truly expected to be chosen, but I knew I had to try for this once-in-a-lifetime chance.

On July 19th, 1985, I received the news that would change my life forever. Vice President George H.W. Bush made the public announcement that I had been selected as the first Teacher in Space. I was completely stunned and overjoyed. My life transformed overnight. Suddenly, reporters were following me everywhere, but I was determined to make sure everyone understood that this honor wasn't just about me. It was for every teacher and every student who ever dreamed big. That fall, in September 1985, I traveled to Houston, Texas, to begin my official astronaut training. It was challenging, but I loved learning how to live and work in zero gravity. There, I met the six other crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission, STS-51-L. They were brave, brilliant, and dedicated, and they quickly became my friends. My plan was to film several lessons from space, including a tour of the shuttle and experiments about science, to share with classrooms everywhere.

The morning of our launch, January 28th, 1986, was crisp and cold at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but the air was filled with excitement and anticipation. My family, my students, and millions of people all over the world were gathered around their televisions to watch. As the Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off, it was a beautiful and powerful sight against the blue sky. We were finally on our way to the stars. But just 73 seconds after liftoff, something went terribly wrong with the shuttle. A catastrophic failure caused it to break apart high in the sky. Tragically, my crewmates and I did not survive the accident.

I lived to be 37 years old. Although my journey to the stars ended far too soon, my mission to inspire students and celebrate teachers did not. People remember me not for how my story ended, but for the dream I represented: that an ordinary person with a passion for learning can do extraordinary things. To honor the educational mission of our crew, our families came together to create the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. These centers give children all over the country the chance to explore and learn about space in a hands-on way. I always said, 'I touch the future. I teach.' I hope my story encourages you to always stay curious and to reach for your own stars, whatever they may be.