
It is surely true that some of the best things in life are those we wait for and wait and wait....
Barbara Morgan has been waiting 22 years to get into space on a space shuttle.
Tomorrow, the Endeavour will take the fifty year old teacher into orbit along with six other astronauts.
In 1985, Barbara Morgan was chosen to be the back-up to teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe.![]()
For six months the two trained together at Johnson Space Center in Houston. On January 28th, 1986 McAuliffe was aboard Challenger when it blew apart and took her life along with six others.
Barbara Morgan then went back to teaching grade school in Idaho. But, NASA didn't want to give up on their teacher-in-space desginee and
asked her to stay on.In 1998, Morgan was asked to become a full-fledged astronaut. Three other teachers have since followed.
Morgan will help move cargo from the shuttle to the space station and relocated a stowage platform using the space shuttle's robotic arm.
More importantly, Barbara Morgan will be teaching the world what the words "never give up" really mean.
Morgan will answer questions from school children in Idaho sometime during the 11-day shuttle mission. If the mission is extended to 14 days she will talk to students in Virginia and Massachusetts as well.
Besides Morgan, the Endeavour crew consists of commander Scott Kelly, pilot Charles Hobaugh and mission specialists Tracy Caldwell, Dave Williams, Rick Mastracchio and Alvin Drew.
"'I'm just another teacher going in space and there are more to come,' Morgan said. 'People will be thinking of Christa and the Challenger crew and what they were trying to do and that's a good thing.'"
And even if there are not more teachers in space, there surely will be more students going, thanks to teachers like Barbara Morgan.
Who was your favorite teacher?
Other Posts About Barbara Morgan
22 Years Later - Barbara Morgan - Gets First Trip into Space Aboard Endeavour
Barbara Morgan to Lose Confidence in Endeavour Flight?








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