Challenger crew bodies condition

A high school teacher, Christa McAuliffe made history when she became the first American civilian selected to go into space in The shuttle exploded shortly after lift-off, killing everyone on board. When she was 5, she and her family moved to Framingham, Massachusetts. An adventurous child, McAuliffe grew up in a quiet, suburban neighborhood during the space age.

She received a bachelor's degree in and married Steven McAuliffe soon after. The couple had met and fallen in love during their high school days.

First teacher in space explosion

Around this time, McAuliffe began her career as an educator, teaching American history and English to junior high school students in Maryland. In , she and Steven welcomed a son, Scott. She landed a teaching job at a high school in Concord and gave birth to a second child, Caroline. In , when the first space shuttle circled the earth, McAuliffe made sure her students took notes.

McAuliffe was an extraordinary teacher with a dream of being a passenger on the space shuttle, so when NASA announced a contest to take a teacher into space, she jumped at the chance and applied. McAuliffe won the contest, beating out more than 11, other applicants. Vice President George H. Bush delivered the good news at a special ceremony at the White House, stating that McAuliffe was going to be the "first private citizen passenger in the history of space flight.

Space shuttle challenger disaster videos

After NASA announced the selection of McAuliffe, her whole community rallied behind her, treating her as a hometown hero when she returned from the White House. As for McAuliffe, she saw the space mission as a chance to go on the ultimate field trip. She believed that by participating in the mission she could help students better understand space and how NASA works.