Christa McAuliffe probable the O-rings had not provided a proper seal. Barbara Radding Morgan, her backup, became a professional astronaut in January 1998, and flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-118, to the International Space Station, on August 8, 2007, aboard "Endeavour", the orbiter that replaced "Challenger". McAuliffe was buried at Blossom Hill Cemetery in her hometown, Concord. She has since been honored at many events, including the Daytona 500 NASCAR race in 1986. The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord and the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Education and Teaching Excellence at Framingham State University are named in her memory, as are the
Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program local school systems, private schools, or private school systems, (3) development of special innovative programs, (4) projects or partnerships between schools and the business community, (5) programs that utilize new technologies to help students learn, and (6) expanding or replicating model programs of staff development. Recipients were required to return to a teaching position in their current school system for at least 2 years following the completion of their fellowships. Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program The Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program, administered by the United States Department of Education from 1987 to 2002, provided annual fellowships to outstanding public and private elementary