McAuliffe Family Memories

As long as we're plugging CNN, don't miss the upcoming episode of CNN Presents featuring the story of America's First Teacher in Space, Sharon Christa McAuliffe.


McAuliffe, a social studies teacher, was selected from tens of thousands of applicants to NASA's Teacher in Space Program. As mission specialist she was to ride aboard a shuttle and bring back to earth a true understanding of what it is like in Space, which she could then pass along to students across the nation. There was even a plan for her to teach a class while in orbit. Unfortunately McAuliffe, and the entire crew of the Challenger died just minutes after lift-off in a terrible tragedy.

Christa McAuliffe: Reach For The Stars will air Sunday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT.