Teacher killed in space shuttle Challenger disaster honored

New Hampshire has proclaimed a day in tribute to a local teacher who died in the NASA space shuttle Challenger disaster decades ago.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu (soo-NOO'-noo) said Sunday would be known as Christa McAuliffe Day in honor of the Concord (KAHN'-kard) woman selected to become the first educator in space out of 11,000 applicants.

McAuliffe never made it to orbit because she and six crewmates were killed when the Challenger broke apart shortly after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986.

McAuliffe would have been NASA's first designated teacher in space. She was going to experiment with fluids and demonstrate Newton's laws of motion for schoolchildren.

Astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold recently said they will pay tribute to McAuliffe by carrying out her science classes on the International Space Station.