Lawmakers propose coin to honor Christa McAuliffe, fallen Teacher in Space

There's an article in collectSPACE about a proposed McAuliffe commemorative $1 coin. Here's the link to the article:

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-050916a-christa-mcauliffe-coin-act.html

 

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Thanks for posting this, Sy.

Personally, I would much rather see a coin or medal commemorating the Challenger mission and its entire crew. Why memorialize just one of the crew members? Why can't they just list all of the names?

Chris

 

Agreed, it should be for the entire crew

 

I watched the explosion as did many others teaching science classes at that time. She wasn't military, air force, or other service that accepted the challenge and possibility of death as a duty as much as being a flag bearer for civilians in space and the example that non-military scientists, both men and women could be on the edge of the new frontier also, and gave her life for the chance. During my career, I was often a judge for county-regional science fairs, and before her, almost 90% of the entrants were males. Several years after her death, it was getting closer to even. Math, Astronomy, Physics, Biology ( especially genetics and bio-technology), young girls were thinking they didn't have to be only English teachers or librarians or mothers, they could be whatever they could imagine. I am not trying to lessen the roles of the other brave astronauts, just that her actions to become such also were different, and under sharp inspection and critique each step. Foreign science teachers have seen the same increase in interest also among their students, both females and males.

 

It's because she was from NH and it's my state senators proposing the coin. I don't agree with it and think they should memorialize the entire crew if anything. I also don't agree with the charity they chose either as they could have chosen the McAuliffe-Shepard space center in NH.

 

I love the idea of this, but I agree with the sentiment of memorializing the entire crew. Why not a coin and medal set? I think the choice of charity is a good one, because inspiring people, particularly women and girls, to study science is why she was on the mission in the first place. I just wish they could have a better design. UGH.

 

Jim, I think its great that more women are entering scientific fields that were, heretofore, the realm of men, but how can anyone suggest that this was encouraged by a (no offense intended) social studies teacher. The lawmakers from New Hampshire are only concerned about their public image and the support of voters for their political aspirations.

Christa McAuliffe was a member of a team!

Chris

 

I have to agree with the idea of memorializing the entire shuttle team though a special tribute McAuliffe could be accomplished through a coin and medal set.

 

There is no need for another commemorative commemorating yet another event that isn't actually that significant.

 

Won't happen.

/a/ the event is in the past (2016)
/b/ the commem programs for 2017 and 2018 are full up.

 

FWIW, I agree with the sentiment that they should memorialize the ENTIRE crew.

 

Christa McAuliffe already has a school in Texas named after her, the "Christa McAuliffe Middle School" where they don't accept two-dollar bills from kids.

When you think of felony forgery your thoughts might turn to Al Capone or Bonnie and Clyde shooting it out with the Texas Rangers.

Not for some local school cops. For one day, public enemy number one when it came to forgery was 13-year-old eighth grader Danesiah Neal at Fort Bend Independent School District's Christa McAuliffe Middle School.

"I went to the lunch line and they said my $2 bill was fake," Danesiah told Ted Oberg Investigates. "They gave it to the police. Then they sent me to the police office. A police officer said I could be in big trouble."

 

There's a thread on that idiocy. Interesting that the school is named for an intelligent person.

 

My vote is for the entire crew to be memorialized but also a bronze medal For Christa McAuliffe There is still time to do this, it's still 2016, and the funds should be spread out. I'm all for the Planetarium, it is awe inspiring and make you remember the event instead of forgetting major events these days that happen in sound bites. And my favorite state to visit is New Hampshire, I love the people, the mountains, the whole state.

 

To me it's to little to late. With no disrespect to her or the entire crew of the Challenger. This happen in 1986, 30 years ago! So 30 years down the road we are going to remember a disaster by a coin. That 1 year after it's issue no one will even care ?
Look I watched as a kid on a black and white TV every launch . To those of us who are in our latest 50's 60's and plus grew up during the space race.
I have the up most respect for all of our space pioneers .
What I don't have respect for is a program that had more success in its earlier days then present.

Why not a set of coins that tell the history ? From the first orbit of the earth to present.
To light a fire in the hearts and minds like we were in the 60's.
Remember some 200 kids and teachers all huddled around a 20 inch black and white tv.
We reached for the stars......and somehow lost our passion .
Sorry about the soap box...... but I remember the triumphs I remember teachers telling me that we were jet age kids.
And the stars were our limits.
Yes the crew of the Challenger was a horrible loss, as was the fire in the capsule , and the break up of Columbia as she returned home.
We don't need a coin we need to kick some tires ,and light some fires....... and once again reach for the stars.

 

My favorite place in New Hampshire was the Budweiser Plant in Nashua, ca. 1970. It was a short trip from Ft. Devens, MA and we would go there on the weekends for free beer.

Chris

 

Makes me think the main motive behind this proposed coin is political, not commemorative.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), is running for re-election later this year.

 

Obviously this won't actually happen given the slots are already full, but with that said I find it rather disrespectful to the rest of the crew to only propose a coin for her. Yes she was a teacher and that made her different and certainly got a lot of attention for it, but the lives of the rest of the crew certainly didn't mean less than hers which singling her out implies.

It's one thing to do local things for a single person everyone understands that, but anything national like a commemorative coin program or medals needs to be all of them. If they wanted to do one for each that would be fitting as well.

 

Of course it's political: it allows staff to tell the constituents that "the Congress Critter has submitted a bill". It has no chance of ever becoming law, but the congresscritters submitted a bill to address your concern.

It happens thousands of times every legislative session, in every legislature in the land. The bill gets referred to committee and is never heard from again. It is also nothing new - when I was researching the $0.03 silver legislation in the eighteen-fifties, the Congressional Globe would start each legislative day with a long list of bills that have been submitted and they were all referred to committee most of them never to be heard from again

 

By the time the Mint is done with the subject, it would be one coin for each member of the crew, one for the group as a whole and one for the rocket. And they wouldn't be well-struck.

Wonder how many advocating this coin (or here, for that matter) could name the Apollo 1 crew.