June Scobee Rogers, founding chairman of the Challenger Centers for Space Science Education, intends to become a teacher in space flying on one of the new suborbital spacecraft.

Dr. Rogers revealed her plans at the 2012 Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in Palo Alto, California.

Update: Dr Alan Stern has revealed that Challenger has taken two of the six flights which the Suborbital Application Researchers Group purchased on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip Two. In addition to June Scobee Rogers, Challenger will pick one participant and one backup through a contest among the 48 Challenger Centers.

June Scobee Rogers is the widow of NASA pilot astronaut Dick Scobee. Scobee was a test pilot for the NASA X-24 lifting body and later became a Shuttle astronaut. Scobee was one of seven crew members, including Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger accident.

Dr. Rogers addressed the risk inherent in her own spaceflight plans, saying “The greatest risk [in life] is to take no risk.” Dr. Rogers did not reveal which suborbital provider she plans to fly with.

Citizens in Space welcomes the announcement. We hope the Challenger Centers will follow up and fly many more teachers in space.