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Teacher in Space
NASA gives three cheers to
educator astronaut Barbara Morgan.

W
Place your cursor over the slideshow for captions.
he Space Shuttle Endeavor landed safely at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on August 21, 2007. The shuttle came down a day earlier than planned in case Hurricane Dean forced Johnson Space Center to shut down. NASA’s Houston-based center helps direct the shuttle’s landing. Hurricane Dean is the massive hurricane that has been slamming Mexico since August 20.

The Endeavor’s seven-member crew was on a mission to help build and make repairs to the International Space Station. But crew member Barbara Morgan had a special job to do. Morgan is a former elementary school teacher. Now she’s part of NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program. Her job is to help the space agency “develop new ways to connect space exploration with the classroom.”

When the shuttle landed, mission control greeted Morgan: “You give new meaning to the term ‘higher education.’”

The Next Generation
Morgan was originally the backup astronaut for Christa McAuliffe on the Challenger shuttle in 1986. Tragically, the Challenger exploded, killing all seven crew members. The Teacher in Space Program was put on hold.

For the last five years, Morgan has been back at NASA, training for this mission. Weekly Reader spoke with Debbie Nguyen, a NASA spokesperson, about the courageous astronaut. "Barbara brings great strength, perseverance, and determination to this mission," Nguyen said. "She has the heart and the mind and the eyes of a teacher. One of the goals of this mission is to inspire the next generation of space explorers."

One way Morgan is inspiring young people is through three video conferences from space. The first was recorded on Tuesday, August 14. Along with Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell and Commander Scott Kelly, Morgan answered questions from students at the Discovery Center of Idaho, an interactive, hands-on science museum.
Click here to see
Barbara Morgan answer
some questions from the
Discovery Center of Idaho
Planting a Seed
Morgan took 10 million cinnamon basil seeds and plant growth chambers with her into space. Scientists hope that in the future, people will be able to grow plants in space. This is one early step toward achieving that dream. NASA has created the Engineering Design Challenge for students who are interested in lunar plant growth. Click here to learn more about how you and your classmates can get involved. In fact, the first 100,000 applicants will receive seeds brought back from Morgan's flight!
Think About It!
  • AstronautWhy might NASA want to "develop new ways to connect space exploration with the classroom"? What are other ways NASA could teach young people about the wonders of space?


    • Before she took off aboard the Endeavor, Morgan spoke with the press about her mission. "I'm really excited about going up and doing our jobs and doing them well," she said. "I'm excited about experiencing the whole spaceflight, seeing Earth from space for the very first time and experiencing weightlessness."

    Upon landing, Morgan told reporters that the flight was “absolutely wonderful,” and that she hopes more teachers will get the opportunity to teach from space.

    Rocket How many space words can you find? Try this wordsearch!


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