In 1984, US President Ronald Reagan announced the Teacher in Space project to find its first civilian, an educator, to fly into space.

NASA wanted to find an “ordinary person,” a talented teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit. Christa McAuliffe, an elementary school science teacher was selected from more than 11,000 applicants.

Upon being chosen, she declared: “I can't join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but this opportunity to connect my skills as an educator with my interests in history and space is a unique opportunity to make my first fantasies come true. I will never give up."

On January 28, 1986, after extensive training, she joined the astronauts for the launch aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Thousands of people, including Christa's students, watched the launch live and on TV. Schools across the country broadcast the launch to students.

Unfortunately, at 73 seconds after launch, a failure caused the space shuttle Challenger to explode, killing all seven crew members on board. The spacecraft disintegrated 14 km above the Atlantic Ocean. It was the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft during flight.

Americans watched in disbelief and without understanding, unwilling to accept the harsh reality before their eyes. A project that aimed to increase the popularity of the space program ended up casting serious doubts on the safety and benefits of the heavy financial investment. The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003 would essentially end the space shuttle era.

https://m.stacker.news/9161