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Morgan Makes Long-Term Commitment to NASA
Morgan left her teaching job in Idaho in 1998 to become NASA’s first Educator Astronaut. She makes public speaking appearances and works with other educators to develop space-related curriculum. She has also trained as a spacecraft communicator, which allowed her to be directly involved in a number of shuttle missions. She was assigned to spaceflight STS-118 in 2002, but disaster struck once again in 2003 when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry, and all space flights were halted for the next two years.
Hard Work Pays Off
Morgan finally received her chance to become the first teacher in space on August 8, 2007, aboard the shuttle I. The mission will take Morgan and her fellow crew members to the International Space Station, where additional trusses will be added and supplies delivered. Morgan will work the shuttle’s robot arm during the addition of the new trusses and will teach at least one lesson from space. While it may have taken over 20 years, NASA has finally achieved its goal of sending a teacher to space. The feat is likely to inspire adults and children from all over the world, showing that in the face of adversity, persistence pays off.
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