Astronaut Christa Corrigan McAuliffe: Irish Women of Massachusetts

Christa Corrigan McAuliffe

(1948-1986)

Born in Boston, Sharon Christa Corrigan was the eldest of five children of Grace and Edward Corrigan. She grew up in Framingham, married her high school sweetheart Steve McAuliffe, and began her career teaching. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced the first citizen in space would be a teacher, and McAuliffe was selected out of 11,000 applicants and began rigorous training. On 1/28/1986 the Challenger launched but exploded after take-off, killing everyone on board. Today the McAuliffe Center at Framingham State carries on the spirit of Christa by teaching students to dream big.

Christa Corrigan McAuliffe is part of BITA's 2019 Irish Women of Massachusetts series in celebration of Irish Heritage Month and Women's History Month.

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