In Challenger's wake: The ethics of sending citizens to space

Outside/In

NHPR

Society & Culture, Documentary, Natural Sciences, Nature, Science

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 21 January 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1985, high school teacher Christa McAuliffe was selected to become the first private citizen to travel to space. After the Challenger explosion that killed her and 6 other astronauts, NASA scrapped its Teacher in Space Project; it was still too risky to send private citizens to space. 40 years later, things are looking very different. Today, celebrities and billionaires are buying trips on commercial rockets. Private companies are designing new, private space stations. How is safety being regulated for these private space companies? And what happens if – or when – something goes wrong? Featuring Kim Bleier, Ben Miller, Doug Ligor, Peggy Whitson, and Dana Tulodziecki. Produced by Daniel Ackerman. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Grab a ticket for our 10 year anniversary live show here! Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Listen to NHPR’s multi-part series honoring Christa McAuliffe 40 years after the Challenger shuttle disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Kim Blyer has lived pretty much her entire life in Concord, the state capital of New Hampshire.
0:06.1	Concord is a little bit of a sleepy city. It is a city, but it has a small town feel.
0:12.8	But in July of 1985, when Kim was just about to enter sixth grade, Sleepy Concord was thrust into the national spotlight.
0:20.6	Well, we're here here today
0:22.4	to announce the first private citizen passenger in the history of spaceflight. Here's then
0:28.7	Vice President George H.W. Bush. The president said last August that this passenger would be one of
0:36.6	America's finest, a teacher.
0:40.2	Back then, NASA's Space Shuttle program had been carrying astronauts to low Earth orbit for four years.
0:46.9	But now, it was going to carry a school teacher.
0:50.7	More than 11,000 educators from across the country applied to the program.
0:54.7	The teacher who will be going into space, Krista McCallif, were, is that you?
1:04.0	Krista teaches in Concord High School in Concord, New Hampshire.
1:07.5	She teaches social studies.
1:10.4	For me, it was her charisma that drew me in, but also just the excitement.
1:15.6	You know, here's this ordinary person from my city who is embarking on this extraordinary adventure.
1:22.6	In the months leading up to her mission, Krista McColliffe became a national celebrity.
1:28.7	How long will this mission be? Do you have any idea?
1:30.4	Yeah, it's going to be six days?
1:31.4	Six days.
1:32.3	Yeah, and every 90 minutes I'm going to be orbiting the Earth at 17,000 miles.
1:35.9	So every day I'd run home from school, my parents would save the newspaper.
1:39.9	And whatever story was from that day, we would cut it out and save it and put it into a
	...

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