WEBSep 7, 2024 · McAuliffe, who was a social studies teacher in Concord, was chosen to be the first private citizen in space. On Jan. 28, 1986, McAuliffe boarded the Challenger Space Shuttle, which tragically exploded just 73 seconds into the flight, killing her and six other crew members on board. Here's a collection of all the news concerning space this week.