1986 Shuttle Disaster

The Challenger Disaster on 28. January 1986 sent the entire American community reeling, trying to understand how such a tragedy could have happened. Only 73 seconds after a magnificent, highly-publicized take-off the shuttle disintegrated, instantly killing all crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation with his annual State of the Union Address that evening, beginning with comments on the disaster that had only hours earlier struck our country.


President Reagan addressed the schoolchildren across our country who had witnessed the disaster on live television, as they watched an American teacher leaving for space. He highlights the tragedy as a painful reality, explaining to these children that the American "future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave."


This tragedy certainly affected Americans deeply, in turn, reaffirming their deepest-held values and beliefs as a united nation. In times of national tragedy, Americans react based on their deep instincts as an independent and freedom-driven peoples. President Reagan understands these reactions and addresses the American people to calm their fears and reaffirm the importance of an American space program and respecting our freedoms to maintain such a program of exploration.