This lapel pin, a souvenir of Magellan T. Bear's 1996 visit to Antarctica courtesy of the National Science Foundation, represents the Amundsen-Scott South Pole research station in Antarctica. The toy teddy bear's journey was part of an ambitious educational project to stimulate interest in geography, science, and social studies.
Magellan T. Bear became the first official teddy bear in space, flying as the "education specialist" aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-63 mission in February 1995. Students and faculty of Elk Creek Elementary School in Pine, Colorado, worked with NASA and Spacehab to have the teddy bear certified for spaceflight. The school also arranged for the bear to fly around the world, visit the South Pole, fly on United Airlines' first Boeing 777 flight, and attend U.S. Space Camp.
Magellan T. Bear was presented to the National Air and Space Museum in May 1998 by librarian Penny Wiedeke and principal Jerry Williams.
