There are many kinds of teachers -- some are down-to-earth, some are out of this world, and some are just spacey. And sometimes there are teachers who you just know are meant to be in space. This isn't to say that these teachers are aliens, but rather they are fascinated by space and space exploration.

For 20 years, NASA has been reaching out to these teachers. The Teacher in Space program was started in 1984 in an effort to give civilians access to space travel. Christa McAuliffe from New Hampshire was the first teacher chosen for the program, with Barbara Morgan, a teacher from Idaho, as her backup. McAuliffe died aboard the space shuttle Challenger when it exploded after launch in 1986.

Morgan then assumed the responsibility of Teacher in Space designee, but instead of traveling through space, she traveled around the country speaking to students about the program while still in the astronaut corps. In 1992, NASA also began the Teaching from Space program, which enabled career astronauts to teach students about space and their profession.

Goal: inspiring students

In 2003, NASA combined these two programs in the Educator Astronaut program. Its goal is to inspire students by selecting teachers who, after training, become astronauts for NASA.

To be considered to become educator astronauts, teachers must apply to NASA or be nominated for the program. They must be U.S. citizens and certified K-12 teachers, with a bachelor's degree in physics, biology, engineering or mathematics. Finalists also go through physical evaluations and a series of personal interviews.

Since 2003, more than 1,000 teachers have applied, and in May, NASA introduced its first educator astronauts: Joe Acaba, Richard Arnold and Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger. They are now NASA employees who train with the other 11 candidates in NASA's class of 2004.

Acaba remembers getting the call from NASA at his middle school in Dunnellon, Fla.

"I was in the classroom, and my kids were spread out through out the classroom and in the hallway.

"And when I got the call it was pretty unbelievable. I did not scream, but my daughter was in my class, and so I was able to quietly pull her aside after I got off the phone and stopped shaking and let her know that I got the job. So it was a neat moment."

For about two years, educator astronauts undergo the same astronaut training as the rest of their class, mostly at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. This training isn't just reading textbooks. According to Metcalf-Lindenburger, who was a high-school science teacher in Vancouver, Wash., every day is a new experience, whether it's flying an airplane or camping in the wilderness.

"We didn't have flying exper ience. So we learned how to fly on a prop plane. Then we came to Ellington Field here in Houston, and now we're learning how to fly jet planes," she said. "Well, we're actually not flying it; we're in the back, doing the navigation and communication. But eventually we'll learn how to do some flying in the air. And then we've also done water survival and land survival classes.

"It's an adventure every single day," she continued. "We never wake up and have the exact same schedule."

Arnold, a science and math teacher who most recently taught at the American International School of Bucharest, Romania, said it's a change being on the other side of the classroom. "We're back in school for quite a while," he pointed out.

Though it seems silly to quit your job, go back to school, and then start a whole new job in which you have no prior experience, these teachers have good reasons. All are fulfilling a lifelong goal to become an astronaut.

"I was actually about your guys' age when I decided that I'd like to be an astronaut. I went to space academy, and I really enjoyed it, and I just wanted to get back so that I could go to space," said Metcalf-Lindenburger.

Watching the launches

It's the same for Arnold.

"I grew up watching the Apollo launches, and that was something that all the kids my age wanted to do, was go on into space. And once NASA started looking for teachers to become part of the Astronaut Corps, I was like, 'OK, I'm gonna go apply and see what happens.' "

A larger goal is to continue McAuliffe's work by inspiring students and adults to learn more about science.

"I think it's important that we're here to carry on what was started, and she's the reason we're here," Arnold said. "You guys are the reason we're here."

These educators are accustomed to inspiring young people every day. Several of Metcalf-Lindenburger's former students praised her efforts in the classroom.

"She's a huge role model for me," said Mike Kofford, 15, who had Metcalf-Lindenburger as a science teacher. "Science isn't one of my best subjects, and it became one of my favorite subjects after I had her class.

"She taught me even more about life than science."

Megan MacPherson, 16, another former student, agreed. "I think that she was really very passionate about what she did and spent a lot of time pursuing her projects and her class assignments, and it really showed that she tried to teach us."

Just as these educators inspired their students, McAuliffe inspires them nearly 20 years after her death.

"I always had really looked up to her when they were talking about her training, and then I continued to look up to her," said Metcalf-Lindenburger. "I hope that I am living up to what she set out to do."

While all of these educators admire McAuliffe, no one expects to fill her shoes, said Arnold.

"None of us knew Christa McAuliffe. We knew of her, but there's someone here, an astronaut who did, one of our colleagues named Barbara Morgan.

"And the day we were selected, we saw Barbara there. I imagine she said the same thing to Joe and Dottie, but she came up and grabbed me by the arm and just said, 'Christa would be so happy today. She'd be so happy you guys are here.' "

"(McAuliffe) set a high standard," Acaba said. "We hope we can do that also, that we can inspire kids so that when they get older, those kids will join the space program and do great things."

After these educator astronauts have finished their training, they are expected to remain with NASA for at least five years. They will be eligible to go into space in 2009 (Morgan will be the first educator astronaut to fly next, tentatively planned for 2006).

When the time comes, they will do anything that a normal astronaut would do, including going on space walks, doing experiments, and serving on the international space station.

Along the way they'll be spreading the word about space exploration and enlightening youth about opportunities in the space program, in honor of McAuliffe.

Now think about that teacher you just knew belonged in space. Maybe the idea isn't so far-fetched after all.

REPORTER: Katie McDowell, 12.

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Y-Press is a nonprofit news organization with offices in The Indianapolis Star building. Stories are researched, reported and written by teams of young people ages 10 to 18. For more information, call (317) 444-2010 or send an e-mail to ypress@in.net.

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