Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe
Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe was an American teacher selected as the primary participant for NASA's Teacher in Space Project. Her role was built around bringing classroom teaching directly into the space program.
- Born
- September 2, 1948
- Died
- January 28, 1986
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts,United States
Flights
1
Spacewalks
0
EVA time
N/A
In space
1 minute, 13 seconds
Bio
McAuliffe studied history and education, taught social studies and other courses in Maryland and New Hampshire, and became known as an energetic classroom teacher before NASA selected her from thousands of applicants.
She trained as a for STS-51-L and planned lessons that would be broadcast from orbit. Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986, killing McAuliffe and her six crewmates.
Her legacy continued through schools, scholarships, planetariums, and education programs named in her honor. The record treats STS-51-L as a flown launch with its short duration, while also explaining the Teacher in Space context.