Reach for the Stars
By Ellis Myers
Should you be traveling in New England, it is not very far-and it would
be worth your while-to drop in at the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in
Concord, New Hampshire. What's more-your Chabot Space and Science Center
membership cards will admit you to one of the Digistar shows in their
40-foot domed theater under a glass pyramid. In the exhibit areas there
are hands-on activities for various levels of interest. In the evenings
the public is invited to stargaze with telescopes and binoculars along
with members of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society. Other programs
of the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium extend into the schools, and nearly
30,000 school children participate each year, engaged in the exploration
of astronomy and space science.
In 1984, NASA wanted to rekindle the excitement that had once surrounded
the space program, and to stimulate a new interest, President Reagan decided
that the first American civilian, not trained as an astronaut, to travel
aboard a space shuttle should be one of America's finest-a teacher, one
whose training included the ability to excite and interest our youth.
Recipient of the honor of being "Teacher in Space," Sharon Christa
McAuliffe, a teacher at Concord High School, had been chosen from among
11,500 applicants. While aboard the shuttle, Christa was to have taught
two lessons from space. She would have introduced each flight crew member
and explained their roles, explained how they lived aboard the spacecraft,
and shown the cockpit's 1300 switches and dials. Her second lesson was
to discuss why people explore space, explain how the shuttle flew, and
report on technological advances created by the space program. She would
also keep a journal, inspired by the writings of the pioneer women who
left their homes in search of a new frontier. Christa said "That's
our new frontier out there and it's everybody's business to know about
space."
On January 28, 1986, Christa's mission ended just 73 seconds after lift-off when the Challenger exploded. In her memory, the People of New Hampshire built the planetarium because it combined Christa's dream of traveling in space with her dedication to teaching. The institution opened on June 21, 1990 to begin its mission to educate and entertain learners of all ages in the sciences and humanities, encouraging them to Reach for the Stars.The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium is located at 3 Institute Drive, Concord, NH; there is a web site at www.starhop.com.