What did Christa McAuliffe contribute to the science world?

Question

Why is she such a hero?

By the way,
1) I don't appreciate the rude jokes, I've been doing research on her and she's a wonderful woman.

2) I know to use google, I have been. I'm doing a research project for god's sake. Stop giving me wikipedia articles and crap, it doesn't give me the idea of WHY she is a hero! Not being rude, but she doesn't seem like much of a scientist.

Answer 1

i dont think she contributed much to the science world but i think shes a hero because she was a "regular" person (a teacher) who lost her life pursuing her dream of going to the moon. simple as that. i was in school watching it live when it happened and it was very shocking and sad because she wasnt an astronaut; she was a teacher.
hope i helped~




** Geez- i cant compete with the ppl on here who cut, copy n paste excerpts from wikipedia. You could have done that yourself. Dont you want a unique, original answer?

Answer 2

Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. She died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Teacher in Space Project

Main article: Teacher in Space Project

NASA selected McAuliffe for this position on July 19, 1985 (another teacher, Barbara Morgan, served as her backup). In the autumn of that year, both she and Morgan took a year-long leave of absence from teaching (NASA paid their salaries) to train for an early 1986 space shuttle mission. While not a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps, she would be part of the STS-51-L crew and would teach lessons from space. After being chosen to be the first teacher in space, McAuliffe was interviewed by many TV personalities, including the likes of Larry King, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Regis Philbin. She had an immediate rapport with the media, and the Teacher in Space Project received tremendously popular attention as a result. It is in part because of the excitement over McAuliffe's presence on Challenger that the accident had such a significant effect on the nation.

Barbara Morgan became a professional astronaut in January 1998, 12 years after McAuliffe's death. Morgan flew on space shuttle mission STS-118 to the International Space Station on August 8, 2007, 21 years after the Challenger disaster.

Answer 3

I believe she is a hero not so much for what she did while she was alive, but for what her death inspired. Granted she was selected to be the first teacher in space, and while aboard the shuttle, Christa was to have taught two lessons from space. In one she would have introduced each flight member, explained their roles, shown the cockpit with its 1,300 switches and dials and explained how crew members ate, slept and exercised in microgravity. Her second lesson would have explained how the shuttle flew, discussed why people explore space, and reported on technological advances created by the space program.

Because of her death a fellow teacher, Louise Wiley, suggested an idea for a planetarium. This planetarium combines Christa's dream of traveling through space. ( I have heard people say that it goes right along with her dedication to teaching.) Its mission to educate, incite and entertain learners of all ages in the sciences and humanities by actively engaging them in the exploration of astronomy and space science, is defiantly happening just like she wanted. :)
I personally have visited the planetarium in New Hampshire, it really is a must see for anyone interested in science.

Bottom line: she is inspiring the next generation of scientists from beyond. :) Best contribution there is, keeping the future going.
:)

Answer 4

I wouldn't say that she contributed to science very much (if at all). Took a second to realize who you are talking about. But I think the reason she is so highly talked about is because of all the people that could have been chosen (politicians, celebrities, Noble Peace Prize winners), NASA chose to allow (although, sadly it was not successful) a teacher to go to into space. I think that, in my mind, at least shows two points.

1) Even the people who are deemed "regular" or "normal" have a chance to experience things that others are unable to. Just because you may not have as much money as the person next to you, doesn't mean that your experiences or chances for greatness are of less value.

2) Teachers are important. Without teachers, we could not communicate, would not have schools or jobs or opportunities. In my mind, teachers are what separate us from cavemen. They use their time to help others become better people and have the ability to do something with our life. Without teachers, none of the world around us would be possible, so without them, colonizing anything in space would be impossible.

Answer 5

She was a teacher who was selected as a part of then-president Reagan's move to boost education in this country. What better way to promote it than to have a teacher go into space? Unfortunately, she happened to be on the one mission that ended disastrously. If the disaster had never happened, it's not very likely she would be remembered much today.

Answer 6

She was a teacher selected from thousands to take a space shuttle voyage in 1986 on the Challenger Space Shuttle. As it left Kennedy Space Center in Florida bound for space, it exploded killing all aboard. I would say she was just a hero who was a teacher that was well liked and respected and died taking the ultimate "ride". :-)

Answer 7

OK bad joke alert:

Christa McAliffe used to teach English, now she is history.

I have a few more so bring on the thumbs down and I will post more.

Answer 8

She was a civilian who died on a mission. That's enough for me. I was 9 years old when that happened and it still gives me chills. All those men & women who went up that day and never came down are heroes in my eyes. Takes a lot of hard work, perserverance, and dedication to be a part of the space shuttle program.

Answer 9

I'd forgotten her name so I appreciated the wilipedia information.

If she's a hero it's because she was willing to put her life on the line for science and to help bring awareness for the space program to a whole new generation.

Answer 10

She personified a tragedy. Everyone identified with her; she was a teacher and a wife and mother and she was going to do this exciting thing. We felt for her family and her daughters when it happened. All of the astronauts who died that day are heroes, but she is the one we remember. She gave a face to our collective pain.