0:00

hey, this is josh levine the host of

0:02

one year i hope you're enjoying our season

0:04

or 1986 this

0:07

week we have a a story from senior producer,

0:09

evan chong,

0:10

about halfway through

0:12

through ronald reagan's first term as president, the

0:14

country got an an unexpected warning

0:17

president reagan and the american

0:19

people were told this today, the

0:21

educational foundations of of our

0:23

our country are are presently being eroded

0:25

by a rising tide of of mediocrity

0:28

that threatens our our very future as a

0:30

nation and the people those

0:33

, came from a report from the national

0:35

commission on excellence in education

0:37

education was called a nation at nation and

0:40

it was a chilling look at the state of the state

0:42

schools american kids

0:44

were incapable of sobbing math problems

0:47

or writing essays on all sorts

0:49

of academic tests be replacing

0:51

dead last among industrialized nations

0:54

if an unfriendly foreign power had attempted

0:56

to impose on america this mediocre

0:58

educational performance they wrote we

1:01

might have viewed it as an act of war

1:03

the commission called for an

1:05

immediate increase in federal funding

1:07

reagan , having it he

1:10

actually wanted to abolish the department

1:12

of education i believe that parents

1:14

not government government the primary

1:16

responsibility for the education

1:19

of their of as

1:21

the nineteen eighty four campaign ramped

1:23

up reagan's democratic opponent

1:25

walter mondale pounced hammering

1:28

him for investing in ballistic missiles

1:30

rather than kids always willing

1:32

to fight for the death for the amex

1:35

the won't lift a finger for education

1:39

the president was on the defensive now the

1:42

race was getting testy the

1:44

white house said today the president reagan in

1:46

reagan speech last week was not suggesting

1:49

that walter mondale as mondale jackass

1:52

feeling vulnerable

1:53

reagan launched in education blitz

1:56

the argued for merit pay for teachers

1:58

more homework and

1:59

richter disappointing

2:02

on august twenty

2:04

seventh ninety four how did

2:06

it for hobo at an awards ceremony

2:08

for school administrators you know the

2:10

jobs of principle and president

2:13

or , like like it congress

2:15

leaves town it's no accident we call it

2:17

a recess he

2:19

hit his usual tottenham awful tired

2:22

philosophy of government know fast

2:25

there

2:26

fifteen minutes them you dropped

2:28

the ball this proposal of the campaign

2:31

it's long been a go are space program

2:35

, sunday carry citizen passengers

2:37

into space today

2:39

i'm directing nasa nasa begin

2:41

a search to choose as the first

2:44

citizen passenger in the history of our space

2:46

program one of america's

2:48

finest

2:49

the teacher

2:53

i read in the bathroom bush made sheath

2:56

when i turn on the switch to the bathroom

2:58

the radio automatically comes on

3:01

cap

3:02

the beers was getting ready to head into the maryland

3:04

high school there she taught and i

3:06

sworn i heard something about president

3:08

reagan sending a teacher in

3:10

the space that his arrest as a national

3:12

air and space administration to be and searching

3:15

for teacher from the nation's elementary

3:17

or secondary school

3:19

well i thought my gosh maybe

3:21

i was just dreaming this

3:24

once you've got to work the principal assured

3:26

her that this was no dream

3:29

he looks at me any says well

3:31

did you hear this morning this one's

3:33

for you

3:37

the airplane was famous of school for how

3:39

she spent her summer vacations one

3:42

year she got helicopter onto a glacier

3:44

in greenland another time she

3:46

crossed rickety wrote bridges on annapurna

3:49

in the himalayas

3:51

and then it was the transatlantic crossing

3:53

in a thirty one foot sailboat and

3:55

them oh yes kilimanjaro

3:57

in east africa in other ones

3:59

are

3:59

last i just feel like

4:02

it's either you get it or you don't

4:05

one person who didn't get it was

4:07

her mother

4:08

oh my gosh this is the lady that

4:11

would not go in ten in a sporting

4:13

goods store

4:14

the mom always worried that something

4:16

would go wrong

4:18

the airplane figured out a way to soften

4:20

the blow

4:21

i would take her to dinner it

4:23

was was dinner to tell my mom

4:25

what i was gonna do for the summer

4:28

this time

4:29

her mom had figured out the routine

4:32

and she didn't wanna wait for the entrees

4:35

she said to me why don't you just

4:37

tell me now before we order she

4:39

says well you

4:41

, on all the mountains you

4:44

been on all the confidence i

4:46

don't know the only thing left his face

4:48

as she gives a big last and

4:52

i said well mom it

4:54

space

5:00

kathleen and tens of thousands

5:03

of other teachers across america were complete

5:06

the only one would win the prize

5:09

feed aboard the space shuttle challenger

5:11

of light into space for an ordinary citizen

5:14

it's not a dream anymore it's going to happen

5:17

some classrooms i never be the sun

5:19

i don't care how i got there are just want to go

5:21

to space css i would

5:23

go to mars the day if i could

5:24

you do have to realize you're

5:26

sitting on this incredible machine but

5:29

it's a dangerous adventure

5:42

this me sabbath so the

5:44

teachers who put everything into one gold

5:47

elevating their profession to unprecedented

5:50

heights this is one year

5:52

nineteen eighty six the ultimate

5:54

field trip

6:23

this episode is brought to you by siemens

6:26

with the world changing so quickly businesses

6:29

need to find digital solutions that can adapt

6:31

fast enter siemens accelerator

6:33

a single digital business platform that

6:35

allows you to transform your business with ease

6:38

speed and at scale the platform

6:40

gives you easy access to the latest technologies

6:43

personalized solutions and and

6:45

open ecosystem

6:46

the partners for each

6:47

integration with your systems learn

6:49

more at siemens dot com slash x

6:54

nasa task force have been looking

6:56

into the possibility of sending a private

6:58

citizen to space since nineteen eighty two

7:02

the report was optimistic

7:04

they cautioned that it might be viewed

7:06

as a public relations gimmick

7:08

they were right

7:10

look assess another ah stage

7:12

kind of situation to try to the

7:14

to when the vote of the teachers as sending one

7:16

teacher to the move or not when the vote of the teachers

7:18

in this country

7:20

that the president of america's largest teachers

7:22

union he derided reagan's

7:24

plan as a campaign stance but

7:28

there were plenty of teachers who didn't care about

7:30

his motivations for ,

7:32

them was offering the opportunity of

7:34

a lifetime there are about two

7:37

million teacher is on the ground in the

7:39

united states and one of them is going

7:41

into space and you can imagine that has caused

7:43

quite an enormous amount of excitement five

7:45

hundred thousand applications will be available

7:47

to teachers who are determined to live out a dream

7:51

we're going to turn over the rest of this episode

7:53

to three teachers who shared that dream

7:55

i'm happily beers and i thought

7:58

tenth eleventh and twelfth grades

7:59

it can would high school in baltimore county marrow

8:02

the and my name is bob forrester

8:04

andor was the science math teacher

8:06

in west lafayette indiana

8:08

my name is nicky wenger i was

8:10

a teacher of a gifted education

8:12

and parkersburg west virginia

8:15

somebody once told me to dirt two

8:17

things at all kids are excited about

8:20

one dinosaurs and one is space

8:23

most people outgrow it but it just

8:25

never did

8:29

i remember going to the movies every saturday

8:32

get your the movies as ten cents and

8:35

a flash

8:35

the series was every saturday

8:38

or use flash rafah

8:40

, to make any difference to me without a flash

8:42

on my successor

8:45

the that was when i first got most interested

8:47

in

8:49

when i was growing up women weren't allowed to do almost

8:51

anything we were allowed to be typist and nurses

8:54

and teachers and that was it

8:55

so for me personally to ever have the opportunity

8:58

to go into space this was a dream

9:02

oh

9:03

when i wanted to do

9:05

the

9:06

remember is a fifth grader back in may

9:08

of and he is nineteen sixty one my

9:10

fifth grade teacher realize that seeing

9:13

alan shepard go up in his mercury capsule

9:15

was so an important thing to do

9:18

mrs

9:20

route that wielding a television and

9:22

we watched right

9:25

, one o'clock or started reading

9:29

aloud flair reading aloud this was a

9:31

turning point that we were going to look at a new age

9:33

of exploration and i'm going to be part

9:35

of

9:41

when i was what nine years older

9:43

so you know the russians launched

9:45

sputnik

9:46

it's a report from mans for this frontier

9:49

the first man made satellite as it passed

9:51

over new york earlier today

9:53

dad pointed out sputnik

9:56

in the backyard and i saw

9:58

the satellite into flying over

9:59

and i was i

10:02

was hooked i wanted to fly

10:05

in fact when the to i'm

10:08

chimpanzees were launched i

10:10

ask my parents i said well why are they sending

10:12

this simpson is space and

10:15

they said well because they're small and

10:17

i said well i'm small i'll go

10:24

application the been pouring in from all over the country

10:26

for months and this week the selection

10:28

process has actually begun

10:30

with ten thousand applications the state

10:32

education board will narrow this the old

10:34

to two candidates for state so nasa

10:36

can make the final choice today the to

10:38

maryland teacher nominees and and alternate

10:41

were announced gasoline bears

10:43

of kenwood senior high school in baltimore

10:45

can't when i got the called head of i

10:47

was one of the too slutty from

10:49

maryland i was ecstatic kathleen

10:51

helps to photograph the outer space experience

10:54

and bring it back to work to bring signs

10:56

to live to the public

10:58

that's thrill of it that

11:00

was a really incredible experience

11:03

just feeling it internally is

11:05

like

11:06

i got and

11:08

syncing myself syncing can't believe that believe cancel

11:10

his cancel

11:12

this is just gonna be she's just

11:14

the beginning

11:19

the semi finalists in nasa's teacher

11:21

in space project met the price

11:23

for the first time in washington dc

11:27

and and thus were the next level of

11:29

selection really

11:30

that more intense

11:35

turn out there were hundred and fourteen teachers to

11:37

per state department offense in

11:39

washington dc that glom puerto

11:41

rico beer of in new affairs

11:43

and i had never been surrounded by

11:45

so many dynamic exciting

11:48

teachers i couldn't believe it a

11:50

lot of them has their own see these

11:52

shows they had planetariums

11:55

they had radio broadcasts

11:56

earlier certainly lot of math science teachers

11:59

but there are a lot of your language arts teachers

12:01

english teachers history teachers

12:03

and there are teachers in their fifties

12:05

i was fourteen size when

12:07

i applied in there were teachers

12:09

older than i

12:11

what we got the earth it was never like

12:13

on going to figure out a way to you get

12:15

ahead of that person or this person were

12:17

is thrilled to be there

12:19

the one hundred fourteen

12:21

educators selected from over eleven

12:24

thousand applicants spent a week

12:26

in the nation's capital becoming familiar

12:28

with a history of space travel and

12:30

of course taking notes and workshops

12:33

dealing with various aspects of shuttle

12:35

flight was it it real hot

12:37

the workshop for in front of all we

12:39

met astronauts

12:40

yep

12:42

it became really rail

12:46

class will come daughter

12:50

ronald reagan was there would get to be

12:52

addressed by hand

12:53

for the lucky one does go up in the shuttle

12:55

i am only one assignment take

12:58

notes through be a quiz after

13:01

having fun is attained

13:04

figured , was very serious about filtering

13:08

out who's going to be selected

13:11

nasa really had

13:13

is it orchestrated down

13:16

to the find his detail you were

13:18

being observed the

13:20

answer

13:20

after week summers even joke

13:22

like wow are they watching this on the elevator

13:25

it's a meals that reason

13:26

there is a and as a representative there and

13:28

i thought it was just gonna matter so on but

13:31

on them to know that i do have table

13:33

manners

13:33

edit

13:38

and then the big night drumroll

13:42

illicit judges reception and

13:44

every one of us had different interviewers lots

13:47

of astronauts a think tank

13:49

people corporate executives

13:51

what about when are the ones that was

13:54

kind of questionable at first was pam dawber

13:59

a been from another planet

14:02

what a coincidence so am i am

14:05

slade officer robin williams robin

14:07

the morgue and mindy and sitcom a

14:09

sitcom some of the saddest quit ceiling

14:12

like whoa

14:13

why is pam dawber here

14:15

and i ask her as to why do you think they

14:17

selected you to be a judge she said

14:19

because she went from unknown to stardom

14:22

overnight

14:24

that's the way i think now so

14:26

so i set we were gonna reach stardom

14:29

it in a blink of an eye

14:30

and pam's are always to sheer

14:32

you can't go back

14:34

this will change your life forever you

14:37

had to be prepared for that do you still

14:39

want to do that

14:41

that i remember telling her the i sought

14:43

said everything i had done in my life so

14:46

far had prepared me for this and i was ready

14:51

the ended a week was kind of sad

14:54

you and

14:54

would these people almost twenty

14:57

four seven for the entire week

14:59

and you felt like you know my

15:01

gosh you're probably never gonna

15:04

see them again

15:05

the a named us his teacher in space

15:08

ambassadors

15:09

we all were given a large duffel bags

15:11

as equipment to take back to our schools

15:13

and that's when they said no tin of you

15:16

the to call once you get home we

15:18

will personally give your phone call and

15:20

tell you that you're one of the ten finalists

15:22

and if

15:23

pod we would know we weren't one had

15:25

a chance

15:25

so everybody went home

15:28

yeah nervously bated

15:30

breath whole experience

15:38

i remember i'm packing and i could find

15:40

my camera i took roles and rolls

15:42

of film that week and i thought

15:44

i had left the camera at the hotel and

15:47

i remember getting

15:49

a call

15:50

and the phone rang and it was the

15:52

director of the program

15:53

he was a mess a person who had handled this august

15:56

logistics of the competition

15:57

and shows

15:59

bob

16:01

we know i'm com

16:03

the well do you know i'm calling

16:05

and i said yes i said you've got my

16:07

camera and

16:09

with that she said well the bad

16:12

news is news is have your camera

16:15

the good news is you're one of the ten

16:17

well you're one of the ten

16:19

i don't remember what she said i just remember screaming

16:23

saying , i can't believe it i can't believe

16:25

i can believe it i think the kitchen

16:27

began to spin i don't know spin felt

16:29

like i took seconds i respond

16:31

i just said just a minute gonna

16:33

held the phone down put my hand over the mouthpiece

16:36

barton just kind of screamed out loud like yes

16:45

well

16:46

i would say something that not many people

16:49

know

16:51

my brother had given to me this little

16:53

statue of the shuttle attached

16:55

to the solid rockets enough a little

16:57

system was about eight ,

16:59

tall metal and i remember

17:02

dropping and breaking it

17:06

and we're not happen i just had

17:08

this humor that

17:11

went through me at

17:13

, point time i thought thought

17:16

i really wanna do this intimate

17:19

that well now you're being silly

17:23

let's take a quick break

17:36

facebook is building tools to enhance

17:38

safety and security over forty

17:40

million people are using facebook privacy

17:42

check up each month that's nearly sixty

17:44

times the population of washington

17:46

dc learn more about the

17:48

work ahead at facebook dot com forward

17:51

slash action

17:53

live episode is back to you by kpmg

17:56

as a business leader how can you innovate

17:58

build trust and

17:59

forward in a digital era kpmg

18:02

can have my bringing together the right talent

18:04

and technologies generating insights that

18:07

opportunities

18:08

you explore their thinking visit read

18:11

kp

18:11

he us an

18:13

opportunity

18:19

good morning ladies and gentlemen this

18:22

is a very special day for nasa

18:25

the teacher in space finalists flew back

18:27

to washington d c right away it

18:30

was time to meet up with the competition

18:33

and for the world to meet them are

18:35

now i would like to introduce

18:37

the ten finalists kathleen and

18:39

beers

18:40

what didn't have the first satellite had a maze

18:42

a nine year old that i named my turtle

18:44

sputnik

18:45

david

18:47

at that point we didn't know each other's names

18:49

by down wages said will here

18:52

we are

18:52

lucky mason wagner

18:54

i view this is probably the greatest pioneering

18:56

venture of all time into the a

18:58

part of it is , indescribable

19:01

barbara tried to evaluate

19:04

how they would be in a robe and i thought

19:06

some probably would be better than be

19:08

better

19:08

robert s forster why

19:11

, important we go up in space how

19:13

can we use them know is a new frontier

19:15

but a new economy a new place that we can

19:17

minds to new solutions old problems

19:20

against a tiny that some we're looking

19:22

like otherwise you meant yeah yeah

19:24

wonder which one of it's gonna be sharon

19:27

christa mcauliffe concord high

19:29

school concord new hampshire

19:32

the things that i would like to do when

19:34

i go for the shuttle is to bring

19:36

back the wonder of

19:37

well

19:42

next up for the finalists was two

19:44

weeks of testing and training

19:47

starting at the johnson space center in

19:49

houston

19:50

i thought oh my gosh you know here we

19:52

are the ten and necessarily going

19:54

to scrutinize the snails they ever scrutinized

19:56

us before

19:58

we need medical doctor

19:59

have club the seasoning and understand we have

20:02

around the day and a half of physical tough thing

20:04

who was unfamiliar to us shift

20:06

have basically every part of his

20:08

checked out

20:09

yeah i'm not gonna get into silence

20:11

s s s s i felt like there

20:13

wasn't a part of my body that

20:15

nasa has explored weather outside

20:18

or inside

20:22

that's not enough kathleen will also

20:24

take part in some simulated spaceflight

20:27

we went into i'm a hyperbaric

20:29

sham

20:30

and then once they close you

20:32

in this container than

20:34

they would start to have a vacuum pull up

20:36

the oxygen

20:38

they simulated high altitude and and

20:40

rapid decompression and we had to fill

20:42

out a questionnaire well we are

20:45

losing oxygen

20:46

right your name do simple math

20:48

problem

20:49

so when it was my turn i remember

20:51

singing this method the this this is so

20:53

easy and i'm answering all these questions

20:56

never so simple and they're so easy so we put

20:58

our mass back on and i still have

21:00

the paper though i've sold out it's

21:02

total gibberish

21:04

the instructor said no you have about fifteen

21:06

seconds if , don't turn on your

21:08

oxygen you you have a chance of

21:11

brain damage your death or

21:13

the finalists said are just are minute our

21:15

trying to finish trying to problem they

21:17

were thinking that maybe this makes me look better

21:20

your bike and go longer they

21:22

didn't give that person that chance ages to her

21:24

oxygen back on his head for that so we're talking

21:26

about the real strict this and teamwork

21:29

not eager to see wanna be the standout

21:32

star

21:34

some laughed out

21:36

of there and there and well

21:38

i don't wanna do that again

21:42

we were

21:44

having some difficulty dealing with some

21:46

of the stress in it was really hard in some

21:48

respects so we developed a system

21:50

a secret buddies we would do

21:52

little things for our secret buddies and i'm a

21:55

, flower or encouraging

21:58

node or a card or something every

22:00

day to just help us get through the prayer

22:01

there and actually

22:04

got to be really close we're still close

22:06

can i would say i

22:08

got close sister christa mcauliffe

22:12

christian i always wound up together

22:14

elbowing each other or giving

22:16

each other mischievous looks

22:19

i don't know we just clicked we just became

22:21

good friends

22:25

for anyone who wishes to respond

22:28

do you think that you've survived the tough part

22:30

or is the tough part still the com so

22:34

i think we're think we're looking forward to the casey one

22:36

thirty five like

22:39

cause part of the attraction of going into

22:41

space is to be able to experience

22:43

weightlessness is one way

22:45

on us as you can reproduce of weightlessness

22:48

did only a handful of people have ever experienced

22:50

in space and that is assessed

22:52

on the casein one thirty five

22:54

and up the plane that those care about yes

22:57

and give you about twenty to forty second point

22:59

of weightlessness so up for sale

23:02

people like bad real quick

23:03

how many instructor said you

23:06

know you don't see us standing us standing

23:08

to go on board the casey one thirty size

23:10

he has is usually referred to as

23:13

of vomit comet

23:17

so here we are nervously

23:20

something eleanor

23:21

and when they

23:23

pull us

23:26

more here

23:28

harm so

23:37

can you tell yourself getting lighter

23:39

and lighter and , next thing you know you're

23:42

floating

23:46

i was there

23:47

warren

23:48

then i've got the biggest smile that i

23:51

think i've ever smiles

23:53

you're bouncing off the walls or your be hitting people

23:56

in their head in new and his people all over the place

23:59

they went to the back

24:06

and we sound like kindergarteners

24:09

at least i

24:16

remember yelling or warehousing

24:18

so much fun or he just

24:20

wanted to end

24:28

america's

24:32

well we went to a huntsville alabama

24:35

visited new his price gov

24:37

space station

24:39

, space don't see it as

24:41

soon as we

24:44

or our

24:45

the flight suits they gave us all flight zoos

24:47

and there's lots suppress lots of media

24:50

of course they all wanted to go to space

24:52

before but now with the possibility

24:54

of that is very real wealth or

24:56

just asked the teachers

24:58

the be apparent from a family the planet earth

25:01

i , not commit the

25:03

argument for like

25:05

i don't like use a word celebrities but we

25:07

were i guess notorious in the news

25:09

at that point

25:10

the thing i can do out there and as

25:12

you see as excited to watch other and seen

25:14

rise of sponsor so valuable as he

25:16

could get settling into arsenic wow this

25:18

is cynicism

25:20

hidden big john denver was aired

25:28

john denver always wanted

25:30

to travel in space music

25:33

was as a number one love and numbered

25:35

see was space i guess issue

25:37

the had the first musicians by his but

25:40

he was with us for part of that day

25:42

and first where it's rather that rather gave azores private

25:44

phone number richard any time any time

25:46

do anything for you new just give me a call he was

25:49

great

25:50

when i know last items on

25:52

our agenda at space camp

25:55

was experience the gravity

25:57

and a centrifuge this list

25:59

giant rotating

26:02

cylinder the floor drops away and

26:04

the because you're going so fast your hang on to decide

26:06

to stick their and , were

26:08

accompanied by some space camp counselors

26:11

they were engineering students the

26:13

l word this thread flight suits

26:16

suits they would stand on

26:18

their hand russ for more for

26:21

and , remember at one particular

26:23

engineering student was really kind and

26:26

he said assists to tide and i said no you

26:28

can make it tighter i don't want to be going

26:30

anywhere and so we were

26:32

all stopped him ready to go

26:34

it was dark in there and

26:37

you spin around slowly

26:40

and least fine around zero

26:42

faster

26:48

the wound boom

26:51

i heard a thump thump thump and

26:53

somebody shrieked he

26:55

went over he went over all

26:57

of a sudden the speed

26:59

decreased

27:01

the lights came on

27:04

i looked up and oh my god the

27:07

, young engineer and the right flight

27:09

suits that was so concerned

27:11

about strapping man for athletes

27:13

had catapulted out

27:16

through the dome and

27:18

onto the floor

27:20

what is student had done had

27:23

used , nice as sort of what is

27:25

back against the wall of this rotating chamber

27:27

had kind of climbed up and

27:30

when it got to the top his enough

27:32

of his body got over the ram said

27:34

it's threw him off and just

27:37

got iraq just got have in

27:39

killed

27:45

nasa rig quickly rushed to set up there

27:47

and we were of course

27:49

everybody was completely second and

27:51

just if devastated

27:57

the person thrown into the rides machinery

27:59

gregory todd walker he

28:02

was was year old student at auburn university

28:05

working a summer job at space

28:07

his death in july nineteen eighty five

28:09

got a few paragraphs the local newspapers

28:13

otherwise wasn't written about that summer none

28:16

of the articles mentions that the teacher and space

28:18

candidates for their

28:20

no i just said

28:21

heartbreak for this kid but

28:24

it was terrible it affected us all injured

28:26

stuck with as for as long time

28:28

yeah that was a a a a

28:30

dark moment on on our trip

28:33

some like under things that happen

28:36

here

28:39

after the shocking death in huntsville

28:41

the teacher and space finalists flew to washington

28:43

d c for their final interviews soon

28:47

nasa would decide which teacher gotta

28:49

fly aboard the challenger so

28:52

toughest test for the teachers asia the time

28:54

slot weightlessness awaiting

28:56

the decision is expected july the ninety

29:00

were all realizing it's come down to this

29:02

to this we all thought it was just up for grabs

29:06

the commander of the challenger flight

29:08

would be dicks gabi

29:10

two minutes of wife and assad rocket

29:12

motors are still attached because

29:14

of all the fire and brimstone the whole

29:17

stack , shakes and vibration that feels

29:19

like being on on a rough railroad

29:21

track on track runaway freight train or something

29:23

we went to dip sculpeys hotel

29:26

room a stared

29:28

they met with each of our eyes

29:31

and he said

29:32

there are no guarantees for

29:34

round trips and it's

29:36

one hell of a big firecracker

29:39

that's going to be lit

29:41

the said it's a dangerous operation

29:43

don't let anybody tell you otherwise

29:46

so don't go

29:49

unless you're prepared that something

29:51

could go terribly wrong

29:54

that's about as as straightforward

29:56

as you can get i mean to have the captain

29:58

ship tell you that string

29:59

in his hotel room you gonna believe

30:03

that i think we were in a place

30:07

where we wanted to go so badly

30:09

you wonder how much she processed

30:12

well i think when you want something badly

30:14

enough you're willing to take whatever riskier is

30:16

analysts a dream it was

30:19

for all of us sewage and when you when you have a

30:21

green you're willing to risk

30:23

for

30:25

the now we're down to one of us is gonna slap

30:27

shot

30:29

tomorrow that you know

30:32

i barely thought any sleep

30:34

the entire night

30:37

and the next day we

30:39

got to nasa headquarters

30:41

we're waiting to have a right over

30:43

to the white house for the announcement vice

30:45

president bush would be announcing that as

30:47

a surprise on national

30:49

television and like and the winner is

30:52

we were not in favor that favor bit

30:55

the need to know we can go into his press conference

30:57

in front of the whole world and find out

30:59

the we didn't make

31:01

the deputy came in

31:03

she could tell were like if pretty nervous office

31:06

waiting for this big moment

31:08

the was talking about her husband having

31:10

to take care the kids while she was gone

31:12

and he was given a cornflakes or breakfast

31:15

all the time of a sudden

31:17

the deputy she just turned

31:19

to christian said chrissy butterfly

31:21

a lot more cornflakes and

31:24

she was white

31:25

the your husband is gonna have to give your kids

31:27

lots of conflicts now because you are going

31:29

to be to tutored space

31:34

though

31:35

the worst

31:37

and we were kind of caught off guard that

31:40

was the biggest disappointment right

31:42

, and told us us

31:45

when you get that close dennis

31:48

very emotional

31:49

one it a female candidates got really

31:52

upset another one of the male candidates

31:54

got really upset if they

31:56

were they did

31:57

so it may we

31:59

were all

31:59

they've done a know each other to the point where

32:02

we were

32:02

truly happy for who ever

32:04

got it

32:06

this other candidates and i walked

32:08

into the bathroom and

32:12

the other candidates mages disparaging

32:14

com and about first a selection

32:18

and oh my god in the door opens

32:20

and outcomes cristo

32:27

sir where

32:30

, here here today to announce the first

32:33

private citizen passenger in the history

32:35

of spaceflight but then we had over to

32:37

the white house and let me say i

32:40

thought i was a world traveler of

32:42

business tops ,

32:44

i've tried tried first the

32:47

backup the to

32:49

make the flight of the winner can the

32:51

morgan of , mccall stonily

32:54

elementary , and mccall idaho

32:57

congratulations and we have a little chris we already

32:59

do a christopher reeve movies editing

33:02

trying to present an image or photograph

33:05

trying somebody present to smooth still and

33:08

the winner the teacher who will

33:10

be going into space christa

33:12

mcauliffe worse said

33:15

you

33:23

the truth is in concord high school in

33:25

concord new hampshire see teaches high

33:27

school of , studies

33:30

studies plans to keep a journal of her experiences

33:33

in experiences in i'm personally

33:36

looking forward to reading that forward

33:39

some reading good luck krista

33:41

god bless all of the thank you very much for

33:43

coming and you to get out

33:51

remember his words she had

33:53

time to prepare something i've

33:55

made nine wonderful friends of the last two weeks

33:58

the national go

33:59

they might un body but

34:05

it's gonna be pills all of the under in with making

34:16

we'll be back in a minute

34:33

it's a small word with

34:35

big implications because whatever an idea

34:37

stars a process gets done it's

34:39

how big talk drives real action and

34:41

people achieve their best work at smart

34:43

see we're in the past

34:44

the over the gucci for managers

34:47

in love calling in the right company

34:48

in a digital tools and people from across

34:50

the company to make it on one platform

34:53

every project any scam it doesn't

34:55

get bigger than that smart seat power

34:57

your process visit snacks she does

34:59

time forward slash power your process

35:06

the same age is

35:08

here

35:09

my emphasis is enemies look west

35:11

l c or this is your world and we must

35:13

get prepared for it in to get ceases excited

35:15

about their fees the

35:19

christa mcauliffe had been a teacher for more

35:21

than a decade she and her husband stephen

35:24

were also busy raising an eight year old

35:26

and a five year old krista with thirty

35:28

six when she got selected to got space

35:30

the rhyme a college was picked over the others

35:33

nasa didn't say i really

35:35

don't know i've got nine

35:37

strong teaches behind me right

35:39

now in any one of us are is well qualified

35:42

to do this kristof with my

35:45

the right person yeah

35:47

she just was one of those people you just

35:49

like to be around to system really sweet

35:51

a celebrity

35:55

the family were paraded alone main street

35:57

and featured on the front page as

35:59

you to yeah no no i

36:02

don't think so think still can't believe

36:04

that i'm going to actually be going into their settle

36:07

it it just really doesn't seem

36:09

possible maybe when i'm on the launchpad

36:11

it will she said i'm very

36:14

charismatic way of interacting

36:16

with people she very very sharp very smart

36:19

she knew what permission was and what nasa

36:21

wanted her to do

36:22

what you most excited about

36:24

you're from their perspective of of

36:26

that small planet in a it it's such

36:28

a big place here for being able

36:30

to look at a from a new perspective i hope i can

36:32

bring that wondering that excitement gas of a suit

36:35

maybe just a little bit of afraid to

36:37

know yet ah maybe

36:40

when i'm so have seen in those rockets

36:42

ago in lhasa denise me there will be but

36:44

space flight today really

36:46

seem safe

36:49

the mission of a challenger crew would be to put

36:51

a couple of satellites into orbit one

36:53

for communications and another the study

36:55

haley's comet

36:57

krista and or backup barbara morgan

36:59

began preparing for in january nineteen

37:01

eighty six launch your the next phase

37:03

or kristin barb started obviously doing

37:05

a lot more training but in the rest

37:08

of us went to work

37:11

nasa thought that the eight of us

37:13

had been through so much that

37:16

they were i guess willing are ready to

37:18

turn us loose we had a lot to do

37:20

we had it we we didn't have much time at home that

37:22

summer we had to go back to nasa and

37:25

put together such as essence

37:26

and history teacher christa

37:29

mcauliffe we making history making

37:31

history but she teaches two classes from

37:33

the orbiter it will be broadcast live

37:35

from the sonos the day before landing and

37:37

they will be beams at schools all across

37:39

the nation the first lesson is called

37:42

the ultimate field trip

37:45

they try to instill in the students the

37:47

lore of as the adventure of a d important

37:49

seven affected they could be the first

37:51

martian sunday

37:53

now we'll get into full gear

37:59

a month and weeks

38:02

of training and waiting have now shrunk to days

38:04

and hours the challenges sense coins

38:07

and launchpad thirty nine be as

38:09

mission fifty one else news liftoff

38:12

the campaign for the commander told me to do

38:14

what he says the first twenty someone should have

38:16

fun as a second

38:17

well

38:19

so i'm chris exciting times you're

38:21

getting ready for the launch thousands of schoolchildren

38:24

teachers and well wishers at the kennedy space

38:26

center this weekend in anticipation

38:28

of the big events and all the

38:30

hundred fourteen space ambassadors

38:33

were again invited by nasa to

38:35

attend we went down my

38:37

wife join me

38:37

there was a big reunion

38:39

all of us were all there so

38:41

that was a really nice at nasa did that part

38:43

mccollum currency the thirty seven year old

38:46

new hampshire school teacher remains com

38:48

they admitted they were not and

38:50

, in in stomach right now i

38:54

don't know

38:54

going to be later

38:56

the day before it was beautiful whether

38:58

it was warm and sunny mata cloudy

39:01

and rainy forecasts is threatening to miles

39:03

launch and officials here are keeping their fingers

39:05

tonight as he tried to relax

39:08

the space to just husband stephen said a delayed

39:10

wouldn't bother him a bit i'd be

39:13

, if there was a delay or be much happier

39:15

for went up when everybody thought it was perfect

39:17

and ago up on a safe spaces

39:23

and they are bored it

39:25

it then

39:26

why they're sit in the slaves the of the flight

39:28

crew in the safety of the shuttle so based

39:30

on those considerations we decide to reschedule

39:33

until monday morning

39:35

we went back into the so tell my brother

39:37

was with me because he and listen

39:39

to space

39:43

watch the superbowl i

39:47

pod racer cargo finally

39:50

serbian

39:55

the we go out the next day

39:56

the crew is on it's way out for the

39:58

launchpad were there the loaded

40:01

up and get ready to go and they are now

40:03

preparing to close the hatch

40:05

well

40:09

their mission was called off because of

40:11

catch it wouldn't close evidently

40:14

has has screw that his stocks

40:17

and they're going to have to drill it out

40:19

half hour later as a drill arrived

40:21

but that only brought more frustration

40:23

sit at a dead battery

40:25

and this week's effort to get challenger

40:27

into orbit has turned into a comedy of

40:29

errors we have scrub sea

40:31

monsters him for today though flight

40:34

of course mccall now has been put off five

40:36

times

40:44

that night a group of us

40:46

wait for the i help

40:48

her coffee and dessert and

40:51

we'll head on all the shuttle memorabilia

40:54

we all had our first depends on and all that

40:57

and , waitress was really funny and engaging

41:00

laughing with us and coming back and forth

41:03

and so she said

41:05

girls have all these pins on

41:07

you what's going on at nasa now and

41:10

we said oh our friend chris

41:12

so she's com be the first teacher and space

41:14

you know haven't you heard

41:16

well

41:18

it was unbelievable

41:21

power came across her

41:23

face and , coffee

41:25

pot is spaghetti now the tremble in

41:28

her hand

41:32

i think we all need together hands

41:36

they say a prayer we're

41:39

all looking confused and will

41:42

we'll take each other's hands

41:45

i don't remember what she

41:47

says by

41:50

she was does

41:51

and she never came back

41:59

it was or interest the adding that it would really be

42:01

about it three to five days delay

42:03

though we flew back home but it a lot

42:06

of things to do back home i was trying

42:08

to get up or when those large old satellite

42:10

dishes go and at my school so the kids could

42:12

watch live i was working

42:15

with the dealer and we were at his office

42:17

because they have a dish and up in their their

42:19

sales show him and his own

42:22

mother worked in the office elderly

42:24

lady and she said does mother

42:26

launch in that thing or , cover

42:29

space agency has learned that reason

42:31

races that this as a self gen

42:33

five year plan losses myself

42:35

and i i said okay know as

42:37

if that's probably have a video because they

42:39

really they have to do have to get it ready

42:41

for the wants his can take several days as why

42:44

i'm back home choose what they're counting down right now

42:46

i said you're kidding me

42:47

giving then about three minutes and they think we can do

42:49

they are counting the ice is cleared

42:52

away and challenger should be going

42:54

away very soon let's get out

42:56

of the kennedy space center and take a look at challengers sitting

42:58

on the pad as they continue i was so

43:00

angry i was so mad after

43:02

all of this i'm sitting in his show

43:04

room watching this on television instead of being

43:06

at the launch i could not believe it

43:09

our hotel was in orlando so travel

43:12

from orlando

43:13

the kennedy and we are the bleachers

43:16

were three miles i think it was from

43:18

the launch site and i was freezing

43:21

cold oh it was so cold i'm

43:23

so glad i had a trench coats and

43:25

never saw pictures on t v i'll

43:27

be icicles dripping off the superstructure

43:29

all of america is watching and

43:32

waiting and are the children

43:34

in new hampshire are hoping that christa

43:36

mcauliffe goes this time they watched yesterday

43:38

that didn't happen

43:40

but it goes up that we should go out and

43:44

so

43:45

we're standing there

43:47

where in the vip say

43:50

in fact i had just talk

43:52

to christus parents and they

43:55

said oh my gosh we've heard so much

43:57

about you from krista and i said

43:59

you know this is the ultimate expedition

44:02

everything pales in comparison to what

44:04

your daughter is going to do now

44:07

and all of his son

44:08

he minus twenty one seconds

44:10

and the salazar rocket booster engine

44:13

jumbled now under way she

44:16

minus fifteen seconds sisters

44:18

it's finally going to get to go in or

44:20

ultimate field trip

44:21

i i minus heroin go command

44:23

or a swiss do the cyber down we

44:25

went says

44:32

what

44:36

he sees another mission and it is clear

44:38

the tower

44:42

when

44:44

it

44:44

throw in the stands were going go christian

44:47

though he and okay

44:48

to do you say go mean age

44:51

at a cost me hundreds of school kids

44:53

jumping up and down and sharing as her

44:55

saw takes off with hundreds of

44:57

a call thought or

45:02

we can hear over the loudspeakers

45:08

he could hear them talking

45:11

the satellite

45:17

the heavily

45:18

the vital smiling

45:24

those have a second

45:28

something strange happened then

45:31

he received news contrails

45:33

that are going out to the side and

45:36

and this like is this supposed to happen

45:44

the yeah solid rocket boosters

45:48

away from the side of the shuttle

45:51

in an explosion

45:55

there was nothing come on over the t a system we

45:57

actually did not know what had happened i

45:59

checked

45:59

when gabi school be

46:02

i'm yelling the commander let

46:04

them down bring them down skokie bring

46:06

them back

46:09

he were watching it on live television

46:11

and yada

46:13

on the the announcer said major

46:15

malfunction is happen

46:33

how is what christus

46:35

parents civil right behind me analyst

46:39

everybody's looking on speechless

46:42

just not able say or do anything

46:50

the researchers seen other stuff falling

46:52

down and i remember seeing other

46:54

debris it's again just still alive they're okay

46:56

der of kids are gonna fall down and are gonna be

46:59

covered in the bring him back

47:03

and i just got i don't

47:05

please

47:17

they didn't gentlemen i'd planned to speak

47:19

to your denied to report on the state of the union

47:22

for , events of earlier today have led

47:24

me to change those plans plans

47:27

is a day for morning and morning we

47:30

mourn seven heroes mourn

47:33

seven heroes , judith

47:36

, ronald mcnair

47:38

allison , asoka gregory

47:41

jarvis and christa mcauliffe allison

47:44

mourn their loss as a nation together

47:48

and i want to say something to the school children of

47:50

america who were say the live coverage of

47:52

the shuttle's take off i

47:54

know it's hard to understand that sometimes

47:56

painful things like that happen it's

47:59

all part of

47:59

process of exploration and discovery

48:03

futures , belong to the faint hearted

48:06

belongs to the brave

48:16

what's next what do i

48:18

need to do next

48:19

i knew i had a call my mother i

48:22

i i just couldn't color i just

48:25

couldn't just was like what do like say

48:27

i mean her daughter was

48:30

could have been on that flight

48:33

holmes lit up people and and get

48:35

hold of me and be on their show and

48:38

explain what went wrong and of course i didn't have those

48:40

answers

48:42

they would say so how do you feel how

48:44

did you see what did you thing and as like

48:48

you think i felt see some i

48:50

didn't say that without was when i was thinking

48:52

and it was really hard and we finally to stop answering

48:54

calls because i couldn't deal with it he wishes

48:57

to devastating

49:00

he recorded taken

49:04

two weeks

49:12

the people have come in person to

49:15

a memorial service in ,

49:17

kind of gathered in your emotions

49:19

for each other

49:21

the band played god bless america

49:24

the knesset see thirty eight flew overhead

49:26

and across the sky

49:34

from the highs high size of the july

49:38

two , low lows in january

49:40

so used to bed time

49:43

people would say to my mom weren't

49:46

you happy that translate wasn't

49:48

on the shuttle mom same

49:50

reaction was yes

49:54

my prayers were answered

49:56

and i said

49:59

what is

49:59

that utah everybody if

50:02

you play

50:02

they were answered she

50:05

said oh i remember how much she

50:07

wanted to fly but i just pray

50:09

to god every night that he could

50:11

take you but he had bring you back

50:14

there are you a lot of people ask me that many times

50:16

he was a aren't you glad that was a you first

50:19

, to your mind isn't i'm glad that when me is

50:23

like is lost my friends

50:25

there were times and know youngblood is still

50:27

i said to myself i wish it had been

50:29

me because i am have little kids are home

50:32

my kids were grown and gone they did

50:34

need me anymore

50:36

she had israel can still and

50:39

they needed her needed her needed

50:41

for just seems so unfair even

50:44

if i had known it was gonna happen i

50:47

don't know that i would have backed out i just don't know

50:50

it's official today nasa is scrubbing

50:52

the next three civilian shuttle flights all

50:54

three put off indefinitely because

50:57

of a challenge prejudice

50:58

this is the ended the space program i actually

51:00

thought that to this is the under the space program

51:03

that i think it was important that we showed

51:06

you can't let the tragedy

51:08

or an accident stop thinks that

51:11

you have to still move forward and

51:13

you still have to try

51:15

the importance of a and it would have

51:17

been letting her down if program had

51:19

ended in of those of us really wanted to go

51:21

to say we didn't want to go because it would have the

51:23

her it would have been a disc dishonor

51:26

disrespected her memory the give

51:28

it up

51:30

then i just felt like for her we had a continue

51:32

for all of the died oh

51:35

i definitely still wanted to go into space

51:38

i was i was ready and willing

51:40

i would have gone that next week

51:43

we all kinda looked at it that way well we

51:45

would have all gone

51:47

one of the things that messenger by keeping all

51:49

of a sign for them nine of us

51:51

for another year was to send a surround

51:53

to promote the importance of sending

51:56

humanity and a space

51:57

it's still important to challenge

51:59

kids

51:59

still important for the future to have math

52:02

science and you're trying to find

52:04

solutions to problems and

52:06

that was still our goal

52:11

investigators eventually found the cause

52:13

of a challenger disaster seal

52:15

on a rocket booster had failed in the freezing

52:17

temperatures causing a fuel tank

52:19

to ignite

52:20

nasa spent two and a half years developing

52:23

new safety systems before space

52:25

shuttle launches finally resumed

52:30

on august eighth two thousand

52:32

seventy two decades to the challenger

52:35

for a space shuttle endeavour much from

52:37

the kennedy space center or left

52:39

off space shuttle endeavour

52:44

what were dating a classroom

52:48

on board with christa mcauliffe backup

52:50

barbara morgan not as as

52:53

in space with as a fully trained

52:55

astronaut

52:56

he was dedicated more than the rest

52:58

of us she stuck with nasa from

53:01

oh gosh what gosh what twenty

53:03

arbor morgan seated down on the mid deck

53:05

morgan racing toward space on the wings of

53:07

a legacy

53:08

she was a much more private persons and kristof

53:11

says sweetheart says use my secret body

53:13

right

53:15

the

53:21

whole time

53:22

you that was kind of our goal is to one of

53:24

us would fly in savannah you barbuda

53:26

have her chest

53:27

and it was such

53:29

assuming a new relation

53:32

i mean it was like okay we're back

53:36

and we're

53:38

they ended the teacher in space program

53:41

but they started the educator astronaut program

53:43

and so you're been quite a few teachers

53:45

now who have left her classroom and they

53:48

now work for nasa and they are trained as astronauts

53:51

so the teachers space program in program big

53:53

impact

53:58

looking at the world as the

54:00

unit the people i'm

54:02

sure who went to the moon because

54:04

they were able to see

54:05

the whole world is as globe

54:07

came back with a much better perspective

54:10

of why we also work together

54:13

chris was a genuine person

54:16

i think of her

54:17

mom

54:19

in terms of the accident but in

54:21

terms of

54:22

her life and how much fun she

54:24

was in a dedicated him she

54:27

was was mother good life a

54:29

good friend but i just would have liked to

54:31

have known her lot longer than i did

54:33

because you have a fragile when you look at holy

54:36

hood over his arm so maybe

54:38

more maybe more get out and guess that perspective

54:41

things are going to change

54:55

haven't shown is one year senior

54:57

producer

55:02

if you're a fan of the show i'd love

55:04

for you to sign up for sleepless the

55:06

, sleep plus members is crucial

55:09

to our work work also

55:11

get to listen to one year without any

55:13

without and they get a special behind

55:15

the scenes episode at the end of the season with

55:18

me season engine if

55:20

you sign up now you can get the first three

55:22

months of your membership for of fifteen

55:24

dollars to get that deal go

55:26

to sleep dot com slash one year plus

55:29

to join sleepless today the

55:31

fleet dot com crash one year paul

55:34

a

55:37

linear nineteen eighty six rumors

55:39

about how suppose buried treasure france

55:42

fix america what secret

55:44

will for rolled over there as lies excavation

55:47

reveal we didn't know what we have some fun

55:49

we don't know if we will find bodies with

55:52

an overgrown find tunnels we didn't know

55:54

if we're going to find riches what's in

55:56

their ladies and gentlemen

56:10

this episode of one year was produced

56:12

by adventure he was edited by

56:14

me josh louis and derek john

56:17

fleet senior supervising producer of

56:19

narrative potter additional

56:21

production came from madeline disarm sophie

56:24

some regrets sam to our

56:27

, technical director his marriage jacob

56:30

holly allen crazy our work for the season

56:33

you can send us feedback and ideas and

56:35

memories from nineteen eighty six and one

56:37

year athlete dot com you

56:39

, call us on the one year hotline at

56:42

two o three three four three zero

56:44

seven seven seven we'd love to

56:46

hear from you thank you to the nasa

56:49

history the fisher and the national archives

56:51

in college park maryland and

56:53

, thanks to nikki winter fab

56:56

forster kathleen beers hillary

56:58

fried christina cada reaching so

57:01

where the the carrey city

57:03

rayford been richmond ceiling

57:05

say this eleven suffering

57:09

ritual strong and the lisa montgomery

57:11

sleeps vp of audio

57:14

thanks for listening will be back next

57:16

week with more from eighteen eighty six