On Jan. 28, 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all the astronauts on board, including New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe.
Now, McAuliffe, who grew up in Framingham, has received the ultimate tribute from the Granite State — a statue in her likeness was put up on the grounds of the New Hampshire Statehouse. It’s the first statute of a woman on the New Hampshire capitol grounds, continuing her legacy as a pioneering spirit.
The statue of McAuliffe shows her suited up in her NASA flight suit. The bronze statue is eight feet tall and was built by sculptor Benjamin Victor of Boise, Idaho.
The statue was unveiled at the New Hampshire Statehouse on Sept. 2, which would’ve marked McAuliffe’s 76th birthday. A large crowd was on hand, including the sculptor of the statue.
“The statue will stand as a symbol of the resilient human spirit that Christa embodies, reminding us of both the risks and rewards of space exploration Christa’s impact on NASA transcends time,” Pam Melroy, NASA’s deputy administrator said during the ceremony. “Her mission catalyzed change, leading to a safer, more inclusive and more educationally focused space program.”
Who is Christa McAuliffe
Born in Boston on Sept. 2, 1948, Christa McAuliffe grew up in Framingham.
She started teaching at Concord High School in New Hampshire in 1983, teaching American history, law, economics and a course McAuliffe designed called “The American Woman.”
She was picked from 11,000 candidates to be the first teacher and private citizen in space.
Space shuttle Challenger explosion.
What happened to the Challenger space shuttle?
Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff because of a mechanical malfunction. The disaster occurred live on television, prompting schools and businesses around the country to close for the day.
“An agency investigation later showed unexpectedly cold temperatures affected the integrity of O-ring seals in the solid rocket booster segment joints,” according to NASA. “The launch was scheduled as the agency’s 25th shuttle mission. While the spacecraft waited overnight on Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a cold front brought freezing temperatures, causing ice to form on the shuttle. Despite concerns raised by some shuttle program employees, managers cleared the mission for launch, with liftoff occurring at 11:38 a.m.”
Who were the other crew members on Challenger?
This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Christa McAuliffe is first woman to get a statue at NH capitol grounds
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66e01d2ced234b3da93e3dc3cb9a5065&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fnews%2Fchrista-mcauliffe-framingham-ma-first-090701798.html&c=6542470655242269165&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-09-09 22:07:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.