Description:

While in quarantine for her upcoming mission as the first teacher-in-space, after the fourth postponement, Christa McAuliffe orders Challenger souvenirs very shortly before her ill-fated mission – one of only two known checks, this is the finer

[SPACE SHUTTLE] CHRISTA MCAULIFFE (1948-1986) Partly Printed Check Signed “S. Christa McAuliffe," 6" x 2.75". [Kennedy Space Center, Florida], January 25, 1986. Drawn on the First City Bank of Clear Lake, Houston Texas, made payable by McAuliffe to “Cape Kennedy Medals" for “One hundred & thirty four 50/100" Dollars. Never cashed. Mint condition.

Cape Kennedy Medals was a Cocoa Beach, Florida, company that manufactured mission patches, medallions, pins, and other related souvenirs and memorabilia for shuttle crews. Christa McAuliffe is ordering Challenger 51L souvenirs for her upcoming mission (including “Teacher-in-Space" items) while in quarantine at crew quarters before her flight.

The launch of STS-51L Challenger was originally scheduled for January 22, 1986, but was rescheduled for January 23rd then January 24th due to delays associated with STS-61C Columbia which had landed on January 18th after four landing attempts. The launch was reset for Saturday, January 25, 1986, the day McAuliffe signed this check, because of bad weather at the trans-Atlantic abort site at Dakar, Senegal. To utilize Casablanca, Morocco, which was not equipped for night landings, a decision was made to change Challenger's launch time from afternoon to morning. But a January 25th launch was not possible because the launch support team was unable to meet the new launch time.

The launch was then rescheduled for January 27, 1986 due to the forecast of unacceptable launch weather on January 26, 1986. Challenger's crew boarded the Shuttle for the first actual launch attempt on January 27, 1986. However, following astronaut entry, a ground service equipment hatch closing fixture could not be removed from the hatch. The fixture was sawed off and an attaching bolt was drilled out before the closeout operation was completed. During this lengthy delay, crosswinds at the Shuttle's emergency landing runway at the Kennedy Space Center rose to unacceptable high limits, and the launch was once again rescheduled to January 28, 1986.

STS-51L Challenger was launched on January 28, 1986 at 11:38 A.M. EST. An explosion 73 seconds after launch resulted in the loss of Challenger and crew.

PSA/DNA certified and slabbed in plastic.

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