Christa McAuliffe Signed Photo 8×10 NASA Space Shuttle Challenger – COA JSA

Presented is an 8×10 NASA photo autographed by astronaut, Christa McAuliffe. She signed the photo in black felt tip (“9-10”) with the inscription, “To Sue – Reach for the stars!” The photo has the official NASA stamping with caption on the verso. The photo also features fellow teacher Barbara Morgan.

Christa McAuliffe was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where she was serving as a payload specialist. Christa McAuliffe and Barbara Morgan were both integral to NASA’s Teacher in Space program in the 1980s. McAuliffe was selected as the primary participant to become the first teacher in space, with Morgan chosen as her backup. They trained together at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in preparation for the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-L scheduled for January 1986. Tragically, the Challenger disaster claimed the lives of McAuliffe and the entire crew shortly after launch. Following this devastating loss, Morgan assumed the role of Teacher in Space Designee, continuing to work with NASA’s Education Division while also returning to classroom teaching. In 1998, 12 years after the Challenger accident, Morgan was selected by NASA as a mission specialist astronaut candidate. She ultimately achieved the goal of becoming the first teacher in space when she flew on the STS-118 mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour in August 2007. Morgan’s journey from backup teacher to astronaut spanned over two decades, allowing her to fulfill McAuliffe’s legacy and bring the educational mission of the Teacher in Space program to fruition.

Authentication: JSA Full Letter

Christa McAuliffe Signed Photo