Political Quotes

“I wish to salute the memory of the seven brave crewmembers of Space Shuttle Challenger, who perished on a mission of exploration and discovery 30 years ago today, on January 28, 1986. I honor the memory of all seven Challenger crewmembers: Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Francis Scobee, Ronald McNair, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, and Christa McAuliffe. Indeed, Congress permanently honors the Challenger crew with a painted lunette medallion of the crew prominently placed in the Brumidi Corridor of the Capitol Building, one floor below this Chamber. In that painting, six of the crewmembers are depicted holding their helmets in their arms, but one crewmember, Christa McAuliffe, is holding in her arms not her helmet but a globe. For Granite Staters and for teachers and educators all across America and the world, there is a very special place in our hearts for Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher at Concord High School who was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to become the first NASA teacher in space. During a year of extensive training at NASA before the mission, Christa created science lessons that she planned to teach from space while on board Challenger, broadcasting her lessons and observations to students all across Earth. As a former teacher, I witnessed the impact that Christa's participation had on students and teachers. The Challenger was integrated into the classroom curriculum, allowing students to discover a passion for science.…”