A statue of Christa McAuliffe, NASA's "Teacher-in-Space" who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, has been unveiled in New Hampshire, the state where she taught.
The new memorial was revealed Monday (Sep. 2) — on what would have been McAuliffe's 76th birthday — during a ceremony outside of the state house in Concord. The larger-than-life bronze statue depicts McAuliffe wearing her NASA flight suit, smiling and striding forward, similar to how she appeared 38 years ago when she headed out for the launch pad.
"This isn't just a statue. It is really a symbol of what we're trying to promote here in New Hampshire," said Governor Chris Sununu, whose idea it was to establish the monument. "This is a symbol of opportunity and the hope that every kid, that every individual, as they cross these grounds, gets to take a little bit of pride in here, the great Granite State."
