GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — On the Jan. 28 anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, 36 years ago, McAuliffe Elementary School students were able to virtually interact with astronaut Mark Vande Hei on the International Space Station.
McAuliffe Elementary School is named after American teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who lost her life when the Challenger exploded in midair just over a minute after takeoff.
Vande Hei’s cousin, Michelle Vande Hei McVane, is a speech and language pathologist at McAuliffe.
During their virtual meeting, students asked Vande Hei questions about his experience being an astronaut. They were able to see and hear him as he maneuvered around the Space Station.
Vande Hei, a U.S. Army Colonel, was selected in 2009 as a member of the 20th NASA astronaut class. He has been on the International Space Station for more than 280 days, and is on track to break a record for the longest consecutive time an American has been in space.
