More than a year ago, NASA decided to choose an ordinary citizen to fly into space on the space shuttle Challenger. In the past, only astronauts and scientists could go into space. Now, ordinary people can do the same. This plan is so attractive that many people from all walks of life are eager to try it. Finally, President Reagan decided that the first ordinary person to go into space should be a teacher.
Yes, the aerospace industry has just started, and the vast universe needs generations of warriors to conquer. Let teachers create ordinary people's space road, which will attract thousands of young people to join this great cause. At one time there were 1 1 146 registered teachers!
Mcauliffe, a 37-year-old female teacher at Concord Middle School, immediately signed up for NASA University.
That night, she came home and carefully filled out an application form of 1 1 page with beautiful handwriting. Scott, an 8-year-old son, and Caroline, a 5-year-old daughter, stood by and watched their mother sign her name. Caroline bit her thumb and asked, "Are you going to space soon?" Mcauliffe smiled and shook his head. "There are so many people signing up. This is like a sports competition, and there can only be one champion. " Scott spoke. It's a boy after all. He said firmly, "Mom, as long as you always want to win, you will definitely win!" " The last football match in our class was like this. Wish you success! "He held out his hand like a real man, and mcauliffe smiled and shook hands with him gratefully.
Unexpectedly, Scott's blessing really worked. Mcauliffe has really become a leader among more than 10,000 people-she has been chosen! She will use her actions to prove that ordinary people can also go to space!
Then, she faced a severe test-she had to undergo four months of rigorous training at the Space Center in Houston. Although she is strong, she is just an ordinary female teacher and has no formal training like an astronaut or an athlete. Now, she experiences the abnormal feeling of losing gravity every day; Gradually adapt to floating in the cabin like a fish; Learn to use the instruments and equipment in the cabin quickly; You must pass all the exams of space knowledge. The most unbearable thing is to get on that small training plane-even astronauts can't resist the ups and downs of the fuselage and often spit out their eyes. They call this plane "Vomiting Comet". Of course, mcauliffe vomited the most, but she was thrown to spit today and got on the plane with her head held high tomorrow. Those space teachers sometimes wink at each other and wait for her to give in, but in the end they all give her a thumbs-up.
Caroline called her: "Mom, are you still in space?" When are you coming down? "Although my daughter had her sixth birthday, she still couldn't figure out the difference between space and the earth, so she had to explain it to her repeatedly on the phone. Her husband and parents often call to ask about her recent situation. She is most interested in her son Scott. He always says on the phone that he wants to tell her a secret, but he never tells her.
The long-awaited day has finally arrived. This morning, Challenger will take off. Mcauliffe's parents and husband rushed to Florida to see her off. Scott and 19 students also arrived by plane. The students are surrounded by Scott, who is holding a paper box with something moving slightly inside. He looks so cautious and serious. He handed the carton to mcauliffe's chest, his eyes lit up and said, "Mom, please take it to space." Mcauliffe looked at it, his eyes suddenly moist. This is a frog, Scott's favorite little frog! Scott has been feeding it wholeheartedly since it was a tadpole. Every day when he comes home from school, he always looks at the small glass jar for a long time, so he keeps watching it fade its tail and grow four powerful legs. When I first heard it croak, Scott, like Columbus, discovered the new continent and brought his father, mother and sister together to share his joy with the whole family. Now, he brought the frog ... Oh, no, he brought his heart! He wants the frog to represent himself and accompany his dear mother to space; He also wants the little frog he cultivated himself to be the first to go into space on behalf of the whole frog family. -so this is the secret he has already buried in his heart! Mcauliffe smiled with tears in his eyes. These are tears of relief, because she saw her son's body with the same blood on it. ...
When mcauliffe's students saw her off, they brought the banner of Xiehe Middle School to keep her in space. Everyone said with emotion, "Don't forget us when you come back from there." Mcauliffe shook his head easily and said, "If I don't come back to you, there is something wrong." Does she have a hunch? No, she is full of confidence in this voyage. Just before sailing, she withdrew her life insurance, just to comfort the people in Qian Qian who were absolutely worried about her. At the moment, the plane is about to board. What is she thinking? Perhaps, she is thinking about two lessons for millions of American students in space. The first lesson will tell the story of space and introduce the positions and responsibilities of each member of the space shuttle to the children one by one; In the second class, she will talk about the purpose and significance of space flight. And her lovely students in Xiehe Middle School can ask her questions directly through the special line. They will have a cordial and interesting dialogue between space and the earth as they usually do in Room 305 of Concord Middle School. Perhaps, considering all this, mcauliffe turned around at the last moment when she boarded the space shuttle, leaving a beautiful smile for the TV camera, her students and all mankind. This last smile, exceptionally brilliant, will remain in people's memory forever.
Challenger has taken off! On the viewing platform in Florida, cheers thundered. Mcauliffe's parents, husband and children waved headscarves and hats with the revelers. In the auditorium of Xiehe Middle School, teachers and students cheered and applauded at the TV. The wind band composed of students played warm and cheerful music. At this unusual moment, thousands of middle schools in Qian Qian, USA are immersed in a sea of joy.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened: the space shuttle burst into dazzling fire in an instant, and then a huge fireball surrounded it! Challenger, which touched the nerves of millions of American teachers and students, dragged two long fire dragons and began to fall rapidly, completely out of control. ...
People on the viewing platform are the first to understand. After staying for a few seconds, people could no longer restrain their inner grief and burst into tears. Only the children are still looking at each other blankly, pale and desperate, as if asking each other: Is dear teacher mcauliffe really in there? Will she really disappear forever in such a clear sky?
In Xiehe Middle School, the band stopped playing for an instant, and the auditorium was dead silent, and everyone's heart seemed to be in the air. On the TV screen, the fireball is still falling, falling ... This is an undeniable fact, what a cruel fact! The three female teachers on tiptoe in the back row cried almost at the same time, and the three men huddled together. The children woke up, some were crying, some were frozen in tears, and some were still staring at the TV screen, with no expression on their faces. An old teacher quickly turned off the TV, while holding back his grief (tòn g), and organized teachers to call their parents separately to take their children home.
A sad atmosphere hangs over America. On this day, Congress interrupted Parliament to observe a moment of silence for the victims. Flags were flown at half-mast in Washington and all parts of the United States, and the lights of the Empire State Building in New York, which is usually brightly lit, went out. A helicopter dropped a huge wreath into the sea where the Challenger crashed. Seven crimson carnations are arranged on the wreath, representing the seven heroes who died on the space shuttle. Seven black balloons were raised at Framingham State University in Massachusetts, where mcauliffe studied. The most touching thing is that on the night of mcauliffe's death, on the Atlantic coast of Florida, more than 20,000 people in hands in the air shone in the vast and deep night sky. Most of them are children, the same age as Scott and Caroline who just lost their mothers. Perhaps, they are using their own unique lantern language to exchange feelings with their dear teacher mcauliffe to make up for those two long-awaited "space classes" ...
However, people were not intimidated by the accident. According to the original regulations, the next ordinary citizen to fly into space should be a reporter. At that time, 65,438+0,700 journalists, editors and photographers applied. After the explosion, no one withdrew their application, but many brave people scrambled to call and invite them to participate in the next space flight.
Mcauliffe gave her students and children the last lesson with her heroic dedication. Children all over the world will always remember this space heroine and this "challenger" from Concord Middle School, just like children in America.