Nov 26 1985
From The Space Library
NASA announced that students in classrooms throughout the continental U.S. would have an opportunity to observe various aspects of Space Shuttle mission 51-L and to listen, look, and learn from NASA's Teacher in Space, Christa McAuliffe, during her flight on Challenger. A few students would also be able to question McAuliffe about the mission.
TV viewers with satellite dishes would be able to access the live lessons directly from the RCA satellite Satcom F-2R, Transponder 13. The Public Broadcasting Service, as a result of an agreement with NASA, would carry the live lessons via the satellite Westar IV, Transponder 12. PBS would offer the programs to member stations after requesting that they preempt regular instructional TV or classroom programming to carry the lessons live.
McAuliffe would teach two lessons on the sixth day of the flight [see Space Transportation System/Civilian in Space Program, Oct. 2]; the first at approximately 11:00 a.m. EST, the second at about 1:00 p.m. EST.
Classrooms with access to a satellite dish or cable network that carried NASA-Select would also be able to participate in a "Mission Watch," which covered aspects of the entire Space Shuttle flight from the day before launch through the conclusion of the mission. Barbara Morgan, backup for McAuliffe, would moderate the Mission Watch broadcast. (NASA Release 85-156)
During November NASA would launch the first RCA Satcom Ku-Band satellite, KU-2, on Space Shuttle mission 61-B. Three RCA Satcom Ku-Band satellites would complement the operating Satcom C-Band system in providing distribution of TV services to customers in metropolitan areas. (NASA Release 85-90)
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