CONCORD, N.H. — A permanent memorial to Christa McAuliffe, the New Hampshire high school teacher who died in the space shuttle Challenger disaster 37 years ago, will be built on the Statehouse grounds, according to an executive order from Gov. Chris Sununu.
McAuliffe would have been NASA’s first designated teacher in space. She and six crewmates were killed when the Challenger broke apart shortly after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986. She was 37.
Astronaut Sharon Christa McAuliffe in 1985. NASA via AP, file
Sununu has asked for $500,000 in the state budget for the memorial. His order creates a commission to study, design and oversee its construction. The memorial would be unveiled by Sept. 2, 2024, on what would have been her 76th birthday.
McAuliffe taught at Concord High School and is buried in a local cemetery. The city named a planetarium for her, later changing it to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center to recognize native son Alan Shepard, the first American in space. It also named an elementary school for her.
There are other tributes elsewhere to McAuliffe and to the Challenger crew, including a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. A commemorative coin honoring McAuliffe also was created.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.