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Christa McAuliffe was supposed to be the first American civilian in space — but her story ended in tragedy when her space shuttle exploded in 1986.
In 1984, NASA announced a new program: the Teacher in Space Project. The initiative would put the first American civilian in space, and more than 11,000 teachers applied for the honor. Christa McAuliffe was thrilled when she was selected as the winner — but she tragically died before she ever made it out of the Earth’s atmosphere.
A high school teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, McAuliffe applied for the program because she wanted to take her students on the “Ultimate Field Trip.” After she won, she spent months training for her mission and planning the video lessons she would record while she was in space.
NASAChrista McAuliffe spent months training for the Challenger mission.
But when the Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off on Jan. 28, 1986, disaster struck. The spacecraft exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff, killing McAuliffe and the other six crew members.
Christa McAuliffe’s family watched from the ground in horror as the space shuttle disappeared into a cloud of vapor and they realized something had gone horribly wrong. After the tragedy, they were shocked to learn that it could have been prevented.
How Christa McAuliffe Won A Spot On The Space Shuttle Challenger
Born in 1948, Christa Corrigan McAuliffe grew up in suburban Massachusetts. She began teaching in 1970, and she impressed her students and colleagues alike with her drive and dedication.
That same year, she married Steve McAuliffe, and they soon welcomed two children: Scott and Caroline.
Raised in the Space Age, McAuliffe was fascinated by space missions from an early age. When she was in high school, she told one of her friends, “Do you realize that someday people will be going to the moon? Maybe even taking a bus, and I want to do that!”
In 1984, Christa McAuliffe finally got the chance. President Ronald Reagan announced the Teacher in Space Project, an incentive NASA hoped would increase public interest in the Space Shuttle program — and thus lead to more financial support from the government.
McAuliffe sent in her application at the last minute, rushing to the post office after school on the very day of the deadline to mail it off.
In the application, McAuliffe recalled watching the first satellites launch as a young girl.
“I was caught up with their wonder,” McAuliffe wrote. “I cannot join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but… I watched the Space Age being born and I would like to participate.”