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Barbara Morgan – First Educator Astronaut

Posted August 13, 2007 9:03 AM by t-rex

Barbara Radding Morgan was born on November 28, 1951 and raised in Fresno, California. She graduated with a B.A. in human biology from Stanford University in 1973, and earned a teaching certificate from Notre Dame de Namur in 1974. Morgan then taught remedial reading and math, English, and science at several schools in Montana, Idaho, and even Ecuador.

In 1985, Barbara Morgan was chosen for the NASA Teacher in Space program. As the backup for Christa McAuliffe, she trained with the New Hampshire teacher and the Challenger crew. After the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986, Morgan took over the duties of the Teacher-in-Space Designee. She continued to work for NASA for several months after the accident, and her responsibilities included public speaking, educational consulting, and curriculum design. Barbara Morgan also served on the National Science Foundation's Federal Task Force for Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering.

When Barbara Morgan returned to teaching second grade in Idaho, she still dreamed of going into space. Finally, in 1998, she was chosen by NASA as the fist Educator Astronaut. Ultimately, she would become a full-fledged astronaut.

One of the most important lessons that Barbara Morgan taught her students - and students and women around the world - is perseverance. On August 8, 2007, Morgan's patience paid off when she lifted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard the space shuttle Endeavor, mission STS-118. During the mission, Barbara Radding Morgan will answer questions from students in Idaho. If the mission is extended, she may have an opportunity to speak with even more students from space.

Although Christa McAuliffe never made it into space, Barbara Morgan still sees the ill-fated astronaut as the first teacher in space. Morgan welcomes the comparison with McAuliffe, and hopes people will think about the Challenger mission and all the hard work that has kept space exploration moving forward.

Resources:

https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Morgan

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Re: Barbara Morgan – First Educator Astronaut

08/16/2007 3:00 AM

It was surely a 'long wait for space', but what a remarkable lady and a remarkable story of perseverance!

I wish her and her crew-mates a safe re-entry despite the worrying tile damage - again!

Jorrie

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