In Memory Of Christa McAuliffe

"I have a vision of the world as a global village, a world without boundaries. Imagine a history teacher making history!" — Christa McAuliffe

'What Goes Up' is a story about heroes. Set in January 1986, it is only fitting to remember Christa McAuliffe (Sept. 2, 1948 – Jan. 28, 1986), a teacher from Concord, N.H., who, along with 114 semi-finalists from more than 11,000 applicants, was considered by NASA and the Council of Chief State School Officers for the First Teacher in Space Project.

On July 18, 1985, NASA picked McAuliffe as the flight candidate and Barbara R. Morgan as her alternate. Together, these two women began 100 hours of flight training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.

In January, it was McAuliffe who boarded the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded during its launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

Although the film challenges the concept of heroes from the perspective of students struggling with the death of their teacher, the producers feel it is important to recognize that McAuliffe, along with six other crew members, was a hero. As so eloquently stated by President Ronald Reagan during the crew's eulogy ...

"We remember Christa McAuliffe, who captured the imagination of the entire nation, inspiring us with her pluck, her restless spirit of discovery; a teacher, not just to her students, but to an entire people, instilling us all with the excitement of this journey we ride into the future." — Ronald Reagan