30 years since Challenger: New voice at astronauts’ memorial

Seven astornauts, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe, lost their lives just after the shuttle left Cape Canaveral.

The flag was flown at the school after being brought up from Framingham earlier today.

The shuttle exploded just 73 seconds after launch from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. on January 28, 1986, killing all crewmembers of mission STS-51L.

Penn-Goetsch was a finalist in the Teacher in Space Project, among many others.

A flag that has flown across the country in McAuliffe’s honor flew at Concord High before making its way to its permanent home at the Christa McAuliffe Library in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Among those watching were students at St. Joseph’s School in Knoxville.

Every year, NASA takes a day to pay tribute to astronauts who have died chasing the stars. It featured a musical performance and a video of President Reagan’s address to the nation 30-years-ago. Since then, generations of Jackson middle school students have learned the astronaut’s legacy.

June Scobee Rodgers – widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee and longtime spokeswoman for the group – passed the torch to daughter Kathie Scobee Fulgham.

“When the teacher in space was going to fly, she was very interested in teaching a lesson about the geography of the Earth, the scene from space, so I worked with Christa McAuliffe to help plan that lesson”, said Dr. Wood. NASA later determined that the accident was caused by a seal failure on a rocket booster, which allowed hot gas to ignite a fuel tank.

Miranda Manning is a flight director for the simulators at the Challenger Learning Center. Afterwards, guests were invited inside the Scobee Education Center where artwork was displayed to honor the Challenger crew members. And I think, that Dick Scobee’s statement, that “We can only go as far as we dream” – that’s what makes this so critical.

Christa McAuliffe grew up in Concord, N.H. and went to college at Framingham State University where her mission to inspire people around the world is still carried out.

Former astronaut and current Transportation Minister Marc Garneau can clearly recall the horrific moment he saw the Challenger space shuttle explode over the Atlantic Ocean – the same shuttle he’d flown in just two years prior.