Born September 2, 1948, Boston, Massachusetts
Died January 28, 1986, over Cape Canaveral, Florida

In 1981 America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began its space shuttle program. Over the next three years, two dozen successful shuttle missions were launched. But more money was needed for space projects, and the U.S. government wanted to increase public support for the program. Thus, in 1984, NASA introduced its “citizens in space” project, which would send journalists, teachers, and other non-astronauts and non-scientists into space as shuttle passengers.

The first citizen passenger in space would be—in the words of then President Ronald Reagan—“one of America’s finest, a teacher.” Christa McAuliffe was chosen from among more than eleven thousand applicants. As NASA had hoped, the public was charmed by this enthusiastic young educator, who planned to teach students across the nation from space...