Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) issued the following statement on the 34^th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, which took the life of Concord High School teacher Christa McAuliffe, along with the lives of fellow crew members Dick Scobee, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith and Ellison Onizuka.

“Everyone in New Hampshire remembers where they were on the day of the Challenger disaster,” said Kuster. “Our nation and the students who were privileged to have Christa McAuliffe as their teacher were heartbroken. Christa was an exceptional person who reached for the stars and inspired her students to do the same. I was honored to join my colleagues to help pass legislation just last year to create a commemorative coin to keep Christa’s pioneering spirit alive as she continues to spark a passion for science and exploration among younger generations.”

Last year, Kuster co-led and helped secure passage of the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019, to create a commemorative coin to honor Christa McAuliffe and reaffirm Congress’ commitment to invest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. President Trump signed the bill into law in October. The proceeds of the $1 commemorative coin go toward the FIRST Robotics program, which was founded by Manchester-based inventor Dean Kamen. Last year, Kuster wrote an op-ed for the Concord Monitor on the significance of the legislation.

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