Barbara morgan astronaut teacher christa

Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan of Montana served as the alternate to the first Teacher in Space. They have two sons. She returned to her teaching in Idaho and continued to
work for NASA, part-time, where her duties included public speaking, educational consulting,
curriculum design, and serving on the National Science Foundation’s Task Force for Women and
Minorities in Science and Engineering.

NASA selected Morgan to the 1998 astronaut class.

There she represented the university in policy development, advocacy and fund-raising in science, technology, engineering and math.

On July 4, 2008, Barbara was honored with the “Friend of Education” award from the National Education Association. More recently, she served in the Robotics Branch of the Astronaut Office.

From 1978 to 1979, Barbara taught science and English to third graders at the Colegio americano de Quito located in Quito, Ecuador. Her achievements have been a key step in bridging space with the so-called average population, showcasing a more accessible space experience with vast practical implications for education and beyond.

After her graduation from Herbert Hoover High School in 1969, she enrolled at Sanford University. Her duties as Teacher in Space Designee included public speaking, educational consulting, curriculum design, and serving on the National Science Foundation’s Federal Task Force for Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering.

Selected by NASA as a mission specialist in January 1998, Morgan reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1998.

At the time, NASA attributed much of the public interest in the Challenger’s mission (and, inevitably, the extensive media coverage of its ill-fated launch) to McAuliffe’s involvement as a school teacher and private citizen, making her loss a particularly raw detail of an already distressing national tragedy. Her work included policy and program
development, advocacy, and mentoring.

Currently, Morgan works with Boise State University as
Emeritus, and continues to work with national and international education organizations, other
non-profits, and NASA.

Morgan’s many awards include, most recently, the Columbia University Teachers College Medal
for Distinguished Service and the inaugural Idaho Medal of Achievement, the state’s highest
civilian honor for service.

The mission will launch in August 2007.

STS-118 Mission

The mission will mark the first flight of an Educator Astronaut, the successor program to NASA’s Teacher in Space Project (which ended in tragedy when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff during STS-51-L). Morgan initially trained as the backup to Christa McAuliffe for the ill-fated STS-51-L mission of Space Shuttle Challenger and has remained involved in the space program since.

Biography

Barbara Morgan was born 28 November, 1951, in Fresno, California.