New ways to reflect on Christa McAuliffe in Concord on Challenger anniversary

The region has new ways to commemorate the life and legacy of Concord teacher Christa McAuliffe on the 39th anniversary of the Challenger explosion.

The most obvious sign of the region’s continuing memory is the new statue of McAuliffee on the State House lawn, the first placed there that honors a woman. It was unveiled Sept. 2, which would have been McAuliffe’s 76th birthday, in a ceremony that drew some 500 people.

Her life has also been marked by a PBS documentary, titled simply “Christa.” It describes McAuliffe’s selection from over 11,000 applicants and takes viewers inside classrooms, both in the 1980s and today. In her preparation for the launch, McAuliffe always emphasized her role as a teacher.

“I touch the future. I teach,” is one of her most famous quotes.

An enduring way to explore the teacher-in-space program and what made her so special is a visit to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord that contains many mementos about McAuliffe’s time in Concord and her role as a mentor.

It has been 39 years since space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, taking the lives of all seven crew members. It was the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft while in flight.