Two decades ago, under President Reagan, NASA developed the "Teacher in Space" program, and planned to fly other civilians on the shuttle. Christa McAuliffe was the first teacher to fly. After the Challenger explosion took her life, no more civilians flew, except for the odd politician.
McAuliffe's backup was Barbara Morgan. Now a full astronaut, Morgan will finally get her ride into space aboard Endeavour on STS-118. Morgan will conduct class from orbit, as McAuliffe would have done. She will also operate the shuttle's remote manipulator arm.
Whatever she teaches from orbit, however, will not be as important as the lesson she is teaching simply by being there. It is a lesson of steadfastness in the face of tragedy, of patience, of vision, and of personal courage.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment