Francis R. Scobee (2), Commander
Michael J. Smith (1), Pilot
Judith A. Resnik (2), Mission Specialist 1
Ellison S. Onizuka (2), Mission Specialist 2
Ronald E. McNair (2), Mission Specialist 3
Gregory B. Jarvis (1), Payload Specialist 1
Sharon Christa McAuliffe (1), Payload Specialist 2 (TISP)

Saturday, January 28th is the 20th anniversary of the Challenger accident. The mission was primarily an educational forum for students all over the world and to study Halley's Comet. The families of the astronauts did not want a stone memorial somewhere to represent their loved ones and with that the very first Challenger Learning Center was created at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in 1988. The HMNS Challenger Center is a place for adventurers of all ages to experience a small sampling of a mission into space.
On Saturday, January 28, the Museum will be hosting Family Missions to Mars at 10:00, 11:30, and 1:00. We need excited individuals (ages 8 and up) to fly our ship, the SS Legacy, to the Red Planet to conduct experiments, build satellites and study Mars along the way.
For more information or to accept your mission, call 713-639-4629. Give the representative code FMM and select a mission time. If you have questions about the mission email Apollo@hmns.org for more details.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science
One Hermann Circle Drive, Houston, TX 77030
Information/Tickets: (713) 639-4629
en español: (713) 639-4603 | TDD service: (713) 639-4687


We are memebers of the The Houston Museum of Natural Science. Unfornately, Elisabeta is five years too young to attend this adventure. For those that are old enough, this would be a blast...flying to Mars. I remember when the Challenger blew up. I was in fifth grade. We were at lunch when it actually happened. The teachers were recording it, though, so that we could watch the lift off of the first teacher in space. When the Challenger blew up, they were not sure if they should show us. The came in to the lunch room and told us what happened. They then asked us if we still wanted to watch it. We did. We were 10 and 11. Most of us had not faced death before and could not imagine what really happened. The teachers lead us (the students) into the fifth grade area, where we watched the video. I was sitting next to Sarbani Guha and Debra Schmid. We all cried. I don't remembr who it was, but I cried on someone's shoulder and we hugged crying.
Years later, I found out that my favorite (school) teacher (Mrs. Glasgow) was in the top ten to go up in the Challenger mission. I think about that and wonder. If Mrs. Sharon Glasgow had been the one to go up in the Challenger, I wound never had her as a teacher. She was the one who changed my life. I actually wanted to learn and be part of something. I learned that I love learning because of her. I joined the Literary Magazine, B.A.D. (Bears Against Drugs), Theatre Club (A. H. Players), Christian Fellowship, and all of the other clubs. (I only showed up for pictures in the 1992 - 1993 year. Scott talked me into showing up for them.) Mrs. Glasgow changed my life. If she had been the one that went up on that day, she would never had that chance. Mrs. Glasgow was my teacher in 7th and 10th grades. (The same year I started high school she transfered to my high school.)