Congress Approves Bill To Create Commemorative Coin Honoring Christa McAuliffe

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's Democratic congressional delegation is welcoming the passage of a bill that will create a commemorative coin to honor Christa McAuliffe, the Concord High School teacher who died in the space shuttle Challenger disaster 33 years ago.

The bill passed the Senate in July and House version was approved Thursday. The bill now goes to President Donald Trump's desk.

The bill calls for the creation of a $1 coin to raise money for the FIRST Robotics program. The lawmakers say the coin honors McAuliffe and reaffirms Congress' commitment to invest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education.

McAuliffe would have been NASA's first designated teacher in space. She and six crewmates were killed when the Challenger broke apart shortly after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986.

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