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Janis Kliphardt (Emery)
The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger one minute and 13 seconds after liftoff, at an altitude of 46,000 feet on January 28, 1986 is an indelible memory of mine.
There was so much excitement about Christa McAuliffe being the first teacher (the first civilian) in space -
My heart sank for Christa, for her students, and for her own young children who were watching in real time.
Christa McAuliffe "emphasized the impact of ordinary people on history, saying they were as important to the historical record as kings, politicians, or generals."
Two 15-minute classes with Christa McAuliffe from space were to be broadcast, including a tour of the spacecraft, called "The Ultimate Field Trip", and a lesson about the benefits of space travel called: "Where We've Been, Where We're Going, Why". Christa also intended to keep a personal journal like a "woman on the Conestoga wagons pioneering the West."
The administration and NASA hoped that sending an "ordinary person," a gifted teacher who could communicate with students while in orbit, would remind Americans of the important role teachers play and increase public interest in the Space Shuttle program, and also demonstrate the reliability of space flight at a time when the agency was under continuous pressure to find financial support.
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