Christa McAuliffe was 37 years old when she died in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986.

Quick Scoop

  • Full name: Sharon Christa McAuliffe (née Corrigan)
  • Born: September 2, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Died: January 28, 1986, during the Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51-L) mission
  • Age at death: 37 years old
  • Role: High school teacher selected as the first American civilian/“Teacher in Space” to fly on a NASA shuttle mission

Her story is often remembered each year around late January, when people reflect on the Challenger tragedy and her legacy as a teacher who inspired many students to look toward space and science.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.