Barbara Morgan
Encyclopedia
Barbara Radding Morgan (born November 28, 1951) is an American
teacher
and a former NASA
astronaut
. She participated in the Teacher in Space program as the backup to Christa McAuliffe
for the ill-fated STS-51L mission of Space Shuttle Challenger
. She then trained as a Mission Specialist
, and flew on STS-118
in August 2007. Leading up to STS-118, Morgan joined Sally Ride
and Shannon Lucid
as female astronauts widely covered by the media.
, California
, where she attended Hoover High School
. Following graduation in 1969, she was accepted to Stanford University
in Palo Alto
, where she graduated with distinction in 1973 with a B.A.
in Human Biology
. She obtained her teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University
in nearby Belmont
in 1974.
at Arlee Elementary School
in Arlee, Montana, where she taught remedial reading and math. From 1975 to 1978, she taught remedial reading/math and second grade at McCall-Donnelly Elementary School in McCall, Idaho
. From 1978 to 1979, Morgan taught English and science to third graders at Colegio Americano de Quito in Quito, Ecuador for a year. From 1979 to 1998, Morgan taught second, third, and fourth grades at McCall-Donnelly Elementary School.
Morgan was selected as the backup candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space Project
on July 19, 1985. From September 1985 to January 1986, Morgan trained with Christa McAuliffe
and the Challenger
crew at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
. Following McAuliffe's death in the Challenger disaster
, Morgan assumed the duties of Teacher in Space Designee. From March 1986 to July 1986, she worked with NASA, speaking to educational organizations throughout the country. In the fall of 1986, Morgan returned to Idaho to resume her teaching career. She taught second and third grades at McCall-Donnelly Elementary and continued to work with NASA's Education Division, Office of Human Resources and Education. Her duties as Teacher in Space Designee included public speaking, educational consulting, curriculum design, and serving on the National Science Foundation
's Federal Task Force for Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering.
and reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1998, making her a full-time astronaut. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, she was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch. She served in the Astronaut Office CAPCOM Branch, working in Mission Control as prime communicator with on-orbit crews.
In 2003, Morgan was selected to the crew of STS-118
.
Like many other astronauts and cosmonauts, Morgan is a licensed amateur radio operator, having passed the technician class license exam in 2003. On March 2, 2003, she was issued an amateur radio license by the FCC
. This qualifies her to use the facilities of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) project.
Morgan's duties as a Mission Specialist were no different than those of other crew members. While NASA press releases and media briefings often refer to her as a "Mission Specialist Educator" or "Educator Astronaut", Morgan did not train in the Educator Astronaut Project
. NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin
clarified at a press conference after STS-118 that Morgan was not considered a Mission Specialist Educator, but rather was a standard Mission Specialist, who had been a teacher.
Prior to her flight on STS-118, NASA seemed to limit Morgan's exposure to the press, but Morgan did a series of interviews shortly before the start of the mission about what the crew of STS-118 would be doing to help build the International Space Station.
Three weeks after Morgan's mission ended, she conducted her first space education assignment at Walt Disney World in Florida. Telling those in attendance "Reach for your dreams ... the sky is no limit.", Morgan's words were etched into a plaque on a wall of Mission: Space. The "Wall of Honor" contains quotes from notable people, such as Neil Armstrong, John F. Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh, Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, Galileo, and Christa McAuliffe. Morgan's plaque is placed beside McAuliffe's, which says: "Space is for everybody ... That's our new frontier out there." This event was one of a series of lectures Morgan would complete.
, an assembly mission to the International Space Station, successfully launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center
at 6:36:42 p.m. EDT, 8 August 2007. Morgan served as robotic arm operator, and transfer coordinator, coordinating the transfer of over 5000 pounds (2,268 kg) of cargo to the International Space Station
, and bringing home over 3000 pounds (1,360.8 kg). In addition to her other duties, Morgan participated in twenty minute amateur radio question and answer sessions with young people at the Discovery Center of Idaho
and other centers, and joined Mission Specialist Alvin Drew in an education event with young people at the Challenger Center for Space Science Education
in Alexandria
, Virginia
. The event was hosted by Dr. June Scobee, widow of Space Shuttle Challenger
's commander, Richard "Dick" Scobee
. The center honored Morgan with the President George H.W. Bush Leadership Award. STS-118 landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center
on August 21, a day ahead of schedule due to concerns about Hurricane Dean
.
for a teaching job at Boise State. In August 2008, Morgan took a full-time position as a Distinguished Educator in Residence; a dual appointment to BSU's colleges of engineering and education. There she advises, leads and represents the university in policy development, advocacy and fund-raising in science, technology, engineering and math.
; they have two sons. She is a classical flautist
who also enjoys jazz
, literature, hiking, swimming, and cross-country skiing
.
. The following month Barbara R. Morgan Elementary School opened in McCall.
Morgan received the Adler Planetarium
Women in Space Science Award in 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and a former NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. She participated in the Teacher in Space program as the backup to Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, and was one of the seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
for the ill-fated STS-51L mission of Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
. She then trained as a Mission Specialist
Mission Specialist
A Mission Specialist is a position held by certain NASA astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. A Mission Specialist is assigned to a limited field of the mission, such as for medical experiments or technical quests....
, and flew on STS-118
STS-118
- Crew notes :Astronaut Clayton Anderson originally was slated to be launched to the ISS on this mission, but was moved to STS-117. His replacement was Alvin Drew....
in August 2007. Leading up to STS-118, Morgan joined Sally Ride
Sally Ride
Sally Kristen Ride is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut. Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman—and then-youngest American, at 32—to enter space...
and Shannon Lucid
Shannon Lucid
Shannon Matilda Wells Lucid is an American biochemist and a NASA astronaut. At one time, she held the record for the longest duration stay in space by an American, as well as by a woman...
as female astronauts widely covered by the media.
Early life and education
Morgan was born to Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Radding in 1951 and raised in FresnoFresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where she attended Hoover High School
Herbert Hoover High School (Fresno)
Herbert Hoover High School is a public secondary school in the Fresno Unified School District serving Fresno, California, in northern Fresno County. It is named for Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States...
. Following graduation in 1969, she was accepted to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, where she graduated with distinction in 1973 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Human Biology
Human biology
Human Biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, epidemiology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics and sociocultural influences. It is closely related to...
. She obtained her teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University — formerly the College of Notre Dame — is a private, Catholic University located in Belmont, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Notre Dame de Namur University is an accredited university in San Mateo County, and the fifth-oldest university in California...
in nearby Belmont
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
in 1974.
Teaching career
Morgan began her teaching career in 1974 on the Flathead Indian ReservationFlathead Indian Reservation
The Flathead Indian Reservation, located in western Montana on the Flathead River, is home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes - also known as theConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation...
at Arlee Elementary School
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in Arlee, Montana, where she taught remedial reading and math. From 1975 to 1978, she taught remedial reading/math and second grade at McCall-Donnelly Elementary School in McCall, Idaho
McCall, Idaho
McCall is a resort town on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest...
. From 1978 to 1979, Morgan taught English and science to third graders at Colegio Americano de Quito in Quito, Ecuador for a year. From 1979 to 1998, Morgan taught second, third, and fourth grades at McCall-Donnelly Elementary School.
Teacher in Space Project
Teacher in Space Project
The Teacher in Space Project was a NASA program announced by Ronald Reagan in 1984 designed to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur interest in mathematics, science, and space exploration....
on July 19, 1985. From September 1985 to January 1986, Morgan trained with Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, and was one of the seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
and the Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
crew at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Following McAuliffe's death in the Challenger disaster
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
, Morgan assumed the duties of Teacher in Space Designee. From March 1986 to July 1986, she worked with NASA, speaking to educational organizations throughout the country. In the fall of 1986, Morgan returned to Idaho to resume her teaching career. She taught second and third grades at McCall-Donnelly Elementary and continued to work with NASA's Education Division, Office of Human Resources and Education. Her duties as Teacher in Space Designee included public speaking, educational consulting, curriculum design, and serving on the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
's Federal Task Force for Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering.
NASA career
In January 1998, 12 years after McAuliffe's death, Morgan was selected by NASA as a Mission SpecialistMission Specialist
A Mission Specialist is a position held by certain NASA astronauts during Space Shuttle missions. A Mission Specialist is assigned to a limited field of the mission, such as for medical experiments or technical quests....
and reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1998, making her a full-time astronaut. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, she was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch. She served in the Astronaut Office CAPCOM Branch, working in Mission Control as prime communicator with on-orbit crews.
In 2003, Morgan was selected to the crew of STS-118
STS-118
- Crew notes :Astronaut Clayton Anderson originally was slated to be launched to the ISS on this mission, but was moved to STS-117. His replacement was Alvin Drew....
.
Like many other astronauts and cosmonauts, Morgan is a licensed amateur radio operator, having passed the technician class license exam in 2003. On March 2, 2003, she was issued an amateur radio license by the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
. This qualifies her to use the facilities of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station is a project sponsored by various entities and carried out by astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station who also have an amateur radio license. The program was previously called SAREX, the Space Amateur Radio Experiment, and...
(ARISS) project.
Morgan's duties as a Mission Specialist were no different than those of other crew members. While NASA press releases and media briefings often refer to her as a "Mission Specialist Educator" or "Educator Astronaut", Morgan did not train in the Educator Astronaut Project
Educator Astronaut Project
The Educator Astronaut Project is a NASA program designed to educate students and spur excitement in math, science, and space exploration. It is a successor to the Teacher in Space Project of the 1980s that was cancelled after Christa McAuliffe died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster...
. NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin
Michael D. Griffin
Michael Douglas Griffin is an American physicist and aerospace engineer. From April 13, 2005 to January 20, 2009 he served as Administrator of NASA, the space agency of the United States...
clarified at a press conference after STS-118 that Morgan was not considered a Mission Specialist Educator, but rather was a standard Mission Specialist, who had been a teacher.
Prior to her flight on STS-118, NASA seemed to limit Morgan's exposure to the press, but Morgan did a series of interviews shortly before the start of the mission about what the crew of STS-118 would be doing to help build the International Space Station.
Three weeks after Morgan's mission ended, she conducted her first space education assignment at Walt Disney World in Florida. Telling those in attendance "Reach for your dreams ... the sky is no limit.", Morgan's words were etched into a plaque on a wall of Mission: Space. The "Wall of Honor" contains quotes from notable people, such as Neil Armstrong, John F. Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh, Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, Galileo, and Christa McAuliffe. Morgan's plaque is placed beside McAuliffe's, which says: "Space is for everybody ... That's our new frontier out there." This event was one of a series of lectures Morgan would complete.
Spaceflight experience
STS-118STS-118
- Crew notes :Astronaut Clayton Anderson originally was slated to be launched to the ISS on this mission, but was moved to STS-117. His replacement was Alvin Drew....
, an assembly mission to the International Space Station, successfully launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
at 6:36:42 p.m. EDT, 8 August 2007. Morgan served as robotic arm operator, and transfer coordinator, coordinating the transfer of over 5000 pounds (2,268 kg) of cargo to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, and bringing home over 3000 pounds (1,360.8 kg). In addition to her other duties, Morgan participated in twenty minute amateur radio question and answer sessions with young people at the Discovery Center of Idaho
Discovery Center of Idaho
Discovery Center of Idaho or DCI is an interactive Science museum in Boise, Idaho located at 131 Myrtle St. The Discovery Center of Idaho's mission is to inspire lifelong interest and learning in science, technology, engineering and math.- Exhibits :...
and other centers, and joined Mission Specialist Alvin Drew in an education event with young people at the Challenger Center for Space Science Education
Challenger Center for Space Science Education
' is a nonprofit educational organization with its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and an international network of Challenger Learning Centers. The organization was founded in April 1986 by the families of the astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28,...
in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The event was hosted by Dr. June Scobee, widow of Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
's commander, Richard "Dick" Scobee
Dick Scobee
Francis Richard "Dick" Scobee was an American astronaut. He was killed commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission.-Early life:...
. The center honored Morgan with the President George H.W. Bush Leadership Award. STS-118 landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
on August 21, a day ahead of schedule due to concerns about Hurricane Dean
Hurricane Dean
The name Dean was used for five tropical cyclones in the Northern Atlantic Ocean:*1983's Tropical Storm Dean, which struck the coast of Virginia, causing minor erosion and flooding...
.
Post-NASA career
On June 28, 2008, Morgan announced that she would leave NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
for a teaching job at Boise State. In August 2008, Morgan took a full-time position as a Distinguished Educator in Residence; a dual appointment to BSU's colleges of engineering and education. There she advises, leads and represents the university in policy development, advocacy and fund-raising in science, technology, engineering and math.
Personal
Morgan is married to writer Clay Morgan of McCall, IdahoMcCall, Idaho
McCall is a resort town on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest...
; they have two sons. She is a classical flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
who also enjoys jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, literature, hiking, swimming, and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
.
Awards and honors
On 4 July 2008, Morgan received the "Friend of Education" award from the National Education AssociationNational Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
. The following month Barbara R. Morgan Elementary School opened in McCall.
Morgan received the Adler Planetarium
Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, Illinois was the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and is the oldest in existence today. Adler was founded and built in 1930 by the philanthropist Max Adler, with the assistance of the first director of the planetarium, Philip Fox...
Women in Space Science Award in 2008.
Quote
External links
- NASA biography - Barbara Morgan
- NASA Shuttle Missions
- STS-118 Education Resources
- Barbara Morgan: No Limits, 2008 Idaho Public Television documentary
- Barbara Morgan Commencement Speaker: Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont CA Commencement
- Barbara R. Morgan Elementary School - McCall, Idaho - opened 2008
- Adler Planetarium Women in Space Science Award