Born 2 September, 1948, Christa McAuliffe was selected from more than 11,000 applicants under NASA’s Teacher in Space Program launched by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, to be the first teacher in space. A graduate of Framingham State College (1970), she went on to earn a master’s degree from Bowie State College in Bowie, Maryland (1987), while working as a classroom teacher. It was her ambition to enlighten the lives of her students with the lessons learned in space from the experiments she would perform. Sadly, 73 seconds after the launch of the shuttle Challenger, STS -51 a faulty seal caused an explosion costing McAuliffe and her six crewmembers their lives. Countless honors were awarded McAuliffe in her memory including the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
Inducted in 2017.
Portrait Location: Space Gallery

Induction Video