Christa McAuliffe Signed NASA Photograph:

Color 8 x 10 NASA photo of the first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe, in her blue NASA flight suit and holding a model of the space shuttle that would soon seal her fate, crisply signed in black felt tip, “S. Christa McAuliffe.” In near fine condition, with scattered light toning along the edgets and on the revers, and some trivial soiling to the bottom left corner.

In 1985, Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher from New Hampshire, was selected from over 11,000 applicants for the “Teacher in Space” project.  She was scheduled to become the first civilian in space and teach two lessons from Space Shuttle Challenger to be broadcasted to students across the country. The project sparked the country’s interest and McAuliffe’s enthusiasm and excitement quickly endeared her to the media and beyond.

 

From September until January, McAuliffe actively trained for the trip in NASA’s facility in Houston. On January 28, 1986, the shuttle took off, only to explode 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members, including beloved teacher, Christa McAuliffe. After her death, schools and scholarships were named in her honor, and in 2004 she was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

 

This picture is a valuable and rare piece from McAuliffe, considering the short period of time from when she was approved for the mission until her death. A beautiful and poignant memory from this unforgettable disaster.