Honoring the 40th anniversary of the Challenger disaster

By Sophia Oppedisano

Editor-in-Chief

Gatepost Archives

The lives of astronaut and Framingham State alumna Christa Corrigan McAuliffe and her fellow crewmates were honored by the University to mark the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on Jan. 28.

The Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning held a moment of silence for the campus community to come together and remember the lives of McAuliffe and her fellow crewmates, Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis on Jan. 28.

McAuliffe, Class of ’70, grew up in Framingham and graduated from Framingham State College with a degree in history before moving on to get her master’s degree in education from Bowie State University.

She was selected as the primary candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space program in 1985 and served as a payload specialist for the Challenger mission, becoming the first civilian and teacher in space, according to NASA.gov.

Challenger exploded only 73 seconds after liftoff, tragically killing all seven crew members.

McAuliffe’s legacy at Framingham State endures through the McAuliffe Center and its service to the greater MetroWest community as a hub for STEM education.

In a statement sent to the campus community, Irene Porro, director of the McAuliffe Center, wrote, “At Framingham State and at the McAuliffe Center, we strive every day to honor Christa’s legacy by igniting wonder, expanding access to knowledge, and inspiring the next generation to explore and ask bold questions.”

The McAuliffe Center is hosting events over the next week for the campus community to continue celebrating the legacy of the Challenger crew.

The Concert for Challenger will be held on Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. in the planetarium. Students can purchase discounted tickets with the code FSU20.

The Challenger Series: The Challenger Disaster and its Historical Context, will be held over Zoom on Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.