Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 23 January 2018

Christa McAuliffe's lost lessons finally taught in space

By MARCIA DUNN of the world — Acaba
AP Aerospace Writer in Florida and Arnold in
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Romania — when NASA
(AP) — Christa McAuliffe's picked them as educator-
lost lessons are finally get- astronauts in 2004.
ting taught in space. McAuliffe was teaching
Thirty-two years after the history, law and econom-
Challenger disaster, a pair ics at Concord High School
of teachers turned astro- in New Hampshire when
nauts will pay tribute to she was selected as the pri-
McAuliffe by carrying out mary candidate for NASA's
her science classes on the teacher in space project in
International Space Sta- 1985.
tion. Her backup, Barbara Mor-
As NASA's first designated gan, is on the Challenger
teacher in space, McAu- Center's board of directors.
liffe was going to experi- Morgan was NASA's first
ment with fluids and dem- educator-astronaut, flying
onstrate Newton's laws of on shuttle Endeavour in
motion for schoolchildren. 2007 and helping to build
She never made it to or- the space station.
bit: She and six crewmates McAuliffe planned to keep
were killed during liftoff of a journal during her space
space shuttle Challenger shuttle mission, and one
on Jan. 28, 1986. In this Sept. 13, 1985 file photo, Christa McAuliffe tries out the commander's seat on the flight college student asked if
Astronauts Joe Acaba deck of a shuttle simulator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. the astronauts were doing
and Ricky Arnold will per- by the Challenger Center, trator for education, Mike station. the same.
form some of McAuliffe's a not-for-profit organiza- Kincaid, said the lessons The lessons should be avail- Acaba said he's been
lessons over the next tion supporting science, are "an incredible way able online beginning this making entries in a leather-
several months. Acaba technology, engineering to honor and remember" spring. bound journal during his 14
shared the news during a and math education. McAuliffe as well as the en- Acaba returns to Earth at years as an astronaut. He
TV linkup Friday with stu- The center's president, tire Challenger crew. the end of February. Arnold writes in it every night be-
dents at her alma mater, Lance Bush, said he's Four of the six lessons that flies up in March. NASA is fore he goes to sleep on
Framingham State Univer- thrilled "to bring Christa's McAuliffe planned to vid- billing their back-to-back the space station.
sity near Boston. lessons to life." eotape during her space missions as "A Year of Edu- "When I'm sitting on my
"I can't think of a better "We are honored to have flight will be done. A few cation on Station." porch sometime in the fu-
time or a better place the opportunity to com- will be altered to take ad- The two were teaching ture, I'll look back on all
to make this announce- plete Christa's lessons and vantage of what's avail- middle school math and these great times," Acaba
ment," Acaba said. He share them with students able aboard the space science on opposite sides said.q
and Arnold "look forward and teachers around the
to helping to inspire the world," Bush said in a state- Sewage spill shuts beaches
next generation of explor- ment.
ers and educators." On Friday, he thanked Aca-
Four lessons — on efferves- ba, who along with two along California’s Central Coast
cence or bubbles, chro- station crewmates fielded
matography, liquids and questions from Framing- MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — morning, Monterey One ers. They sit in a peninsula
Newton's laws — will be ham State students about Nearly 5 million gallons of Water general manager that includes the towns of
filmed by Acaba and Ar- life in space. sewage spilled into the Paul Sciuto said. Pebble Beach, Monterey
nold, then posted online NASA's associate adminis- ocean on California’s Cen- “A number of alarms did and Carmel, which attract
tral Coast after a filter at a not get to the operator be- tourists and golfers from
water treatment plant got cause of a computer com- around the world.
clogged and the comput- munications’ failure, but Shawn Johnson, director
er system failed to sound we still don’t know what of veterinary science at
an alarm, an official said caused it,” he said. the Marine Mammal Cen-
Monday, forcing several Environmental health offi- ter in Sausalito, said young
popular beaches to close. cials closed at least seven mammals are at greatest
The spill at the facility in beaches, many with silvery risk from the raw sewage,
the city of Marina started sands or rocky outcrops but harbor seals won’t give
Friday night and an opera- that offer beautiful vistas birth in the area until May.
tor stopped it about eight and are busy with surfers, The area also is home to
hours later on Saturday dog walkers and picnick- sea otters.q