Caroll Spinney, who played Big Bird on Sesame Street, was considered for a NASA space shuttle flight in 1980s to renew interest in space among children. However, her suit was too big and NASA selected teacher Christa McAuliffe instead. The Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all seven passengers on board. NASA eliminated the Space Flight Participant Program and grounded the space shuttle fleet for nearly three years.
Caroll Spinney had a chance to fly on a NASA space shuttle in the 1980s, but her suit was too big. This only makes sense when you know that Spinney has played Big Bird on Sesame Street since the show premiered in 1969. Hers Hers outfit is her 8ft 2in (2.5m) bright yellow costume ). In the 2015 documentary I Am Big Bird, 81-year-old Spinney acknowledged that PBS and NASA discussed Big Bird’s flight on the Challenger in 81 to renew interest in space among children. NASA ended up selecting teacher Christa McAuliffe to join the January 1984 crew in Spinney’s place, as part of the space agency’s Space Flight Participant Program. The Challenger tragically exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all seven passengers on board. NASA subsequently eliminated the Space Flight Participant Program and grounded the space shuttle fleet for nearly three years.
Read more about Big Bird and the Space Shuttle Challenger:
The disintegration of the space shuttle Challenger began after an O-ring in its right solid rocket ship ruptured during liftoff.
NASA said the talks involved the Big Bird character and his teddy bear, Radar.
Spinney says Big Bird is actually a puppet. “My right arm is his neck and my right hand moves his head, with my little finger controlling his eyebrows, moving them up and down to show when he’s thinking.”
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