Concord, N.H. - Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) issued the following statement on the 35th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, which took the lives of seven people, including Concord High School teacher Christa McAuliffe. 

“Thirty-five years ago today, our nation lost seven brave Americans in the Challenger disaster,” said Rep. Kuster. “For Granite Staters, this tragedy hit close to home, as it took the life of Christa McAuliffe, a dedicated educator at Concord High School. Christa was an exceptional person who reached for the stars and inspired her students to do the same. I was honored to help efforts in the House of Representatives 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.”

Rep. Kuster and Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01) 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 2020. The proceeds of the $1 commemorative coin go toward the FIRST Robotics program, which was founded by Manchester-based inventor Dean Kamen. In 2019, Kuster wrote an op-ed for the Concord Monitor on the significance of the legislation.

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