Christa Mcauliffe facts

While investigating facts about Christa Mcauliffe Middle School and Christa Mcauliffe School, I found out little known, but curios details like:

NASA wanted to send Big Bird into space on the Challenger in 1986 to get children interested in space. The Big Bird suit was too big, however, so they sent teacher Christa McAuliffe instead. The Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff.

how did christa mcauliffe die?

Christa McAuliffe was gifted with a $1 million life insurance policy a week before the Challenger disaster in honor of her being the first teacher in space.

What year did christa mcauliffe die?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what happened to christa mcauliffe. Here are 16 of the best facts about Christa Mcauliffe Elementary School and Christa Mcauliffe Husband I managed to collect.

what did christa mcauliffe teach?

1. The Soviet Union named a crater on Venus after Christa McAuliffe, the teacher astronaut who died during the Challenger space shuttle disaster.

2. Big Bird was supposed to be launched into space to encourage kid's interest in space/NASA. Instead they went with a teacher named Christa McAuliffe, who unfortunately died when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded during take off.

3. In honor of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the Soviet Union named a crater on Venus after Christa McAuliffe, who was supposed to be the first teacher in space but died in the disaster.

4. NASA wanted to send Caroll Spinney, the actor who plays Big Bird to space via the ill-fated Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986 to interest children in space. However, the Big Bird suit was too big for the shuttle, so he was replaced by teacher Christa McAuliffe.

5. Barbara Morgan was the backup teacher to Christa McAuliffe in the 'Teacher in Space Project'. She became an astronaut to honour McAuliffe and flew in space 21 years after the doomed Challenger shuttle, finally fulfilling McAuliffe's mission.

6. Barbara Morgan, who was Christa McAuliffe's backup in the ill-fated final mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger, became a professional astronaut 13 years later. And that 5 years after that, she herself flew on the Endeavor to the ISS as a Mission Specialist.

7. In 1986, NASA launched the Teacher in Space Project (TISP). Picked from 11,000 applicants, American teacher Christa McAuliffe was chosen. One minute into the shuttle launch, the shuttle blew up, killing Christa, 5 men and 2 women live on TV.

8. Big Bird almost died on the space shuttle Challenger. The performer was asked by NASA to go into orbit, in order to get kids more interested in space. They discovered that the costume wouldn't fit inside, so they chose a school teacher instead, Sharon Christa McAuliffe.

9. In the 80s NASA wanted to send Big Bird into space to teach children about the Space Program. When they couldn't figure out how to get Big Bird to work in 0 gravity, they decided to send a teacher instead - resulting in Christa McAuliffe being chosen for the Challenger shuttle.

10. Christa McAuliffe's backup in the Teacher in Space program was later (separately) selected for NASA and flew into space on Endeavour

Why is christa mcauliffe famous?

You can easily fact check why is christa mcauliffe important by examining the linked well-known sources.

Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer that played Big Bird from Sesame Street, was bumped from riding in the space shuttle Challenger by NASA for Christa Mcauliffe.

Christa McAuliffe's backup, Barbara Morgan, joined the astronaut corp after the Challenger disaster. She flew as a mission specialist on STS-118 - source

Carroll Spinney, the actor that plays Big Bird, was originally chosen to be on the space shuttle Challenger and was later replaced by school teacher Christa McAuliffe. The shuttle exploded on launch killing all on board. - source

There was discussion in the 80s to send Big Bird into space on board the ill-fated Challenger shuttle to teach children about the U.S. space program. However, they were unable to figure out how to operate Big Bird in zero gravity, so they decided to send Christa McAuliffe instead.