Jeanne Shaheen: “I rise in recognition of the 36th anniversary of the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster and to pay tribute to the memory…”

“I rise in recognition of the 36th anniversary of the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster and to pay tribute to the memory of all seven Challenger crewmembers: Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Francis Scobee, Ronald McNair, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, and Christa McAuliffe. On January 28, 1986, the world witnessed a fatal accident that claimed the lives of all seven of the Challenger's crewmembers. As many of my colleagues will remember, just moments after launch, the shuttle exploded, never having left the Earth's atmosphere. It was later determined that unusually cold temperatures caused several seals within the shuttle's right rocket booster to fail, ultimately resulting in this devastating tragedy. This anniversary is a particularly difficult day for the people of New Hampshire as we pause to remember the Challenger crew, including Granite Stater Christa McAuliffe. The Challenger mission had been chosen to pilot President Reagan's Teacher in Space Program, and Concord schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe was selected to be the program's first participant. Christa looked forward to the opportunity to teach two lessons from space and share her once-in-a-lifetime experience with students across the country. Although the Teacher in Space program was discontinued following the accident, the families of the Challenger's crew established the first Challenger Center for Space Science Education to promote science, technology, engineering, and math--STEM--education.…”