US Teacher Headed for Space

NASA readies educator 21 years after Challenger disaster
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 6, 2007 8:02 AM CDT
US Teacher Headed for Space
The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour, from left, commander Scott J. Kelly, mission specialist Alvin Drew Jr, pilot Charles Hobaugh, mission specialists Dafydd Williams, of the Canadian Space Agency, Tracy Caldwell, teacher turned astronaut Barbara Morgan and Richard Mastracchio arrive at the Kennedy...   (Associated Press)

NASA is sending another schoolteacher into space, 21 years after the Challenger disaster killed educator Christa McAuliffe. Barbara Morgan, a former Idaho schoolteacher and now a fully trained astronaut, will spend most of the trip transferring cargo to the International Space Station and about six hours on educational pursuits. When she returns, she'll develop a curriculum based on her experience.

Morgan, who trained with McAuliffe, was asked to become NASA's "Teacher In Space," but a policy change banned civilians after the explosion. Morgan, 55, says her dream job is still teaching, but agreed to become an astronaut because she wanted to show kids that adults "do the right thing" in challenging situations. (More space stories.)

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