January 28, 1986

[Baz]

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Most of us remember where we were when it happened...when we heard the horrible news.

President Reagan was going to give his SOTU speech but cancelled it and gave this one instead. One of the best he ever made....those last two sentences....stills tears me up when reading it.....



Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986

by President Ronald W. Reagan

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering.

Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute.

We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.

I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

[Note: The President spoke at 5 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House. His address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television.]

[david914]

I was working at Harris Corporation in Palm Bay, Florida at the time. Walked outside to watch the launch as it cleared the trees, waited for the booster separation, then BOOM! Pieces flying everywhere. Walked back inside to where we had an AM radio listening to the NASA broadcast. It was dead silent for what seemed like an eternity. The NASA announcer finally came on, and the first thing he said was "Obviously a major malfunction..."

I still remember it like it was yesterday. I'm getting chills as I type this. Like 9-11, it changed many peoples lives forever.

RIP Challenger crew.

[wdfifteen]

I was working in the lab. The first thing we heard was a pyramid announcement from the AFWAL commander, "Don't talk to ANYBODY about this." Then the chatter started about what happened. Our TAM had a TV and we all watched the news report for about an hour. Very sad day,

[herr_oberst]

I was at the Boise State University print shop working at the light table. We all gathered around a speaker on a post to listen.

(It's funny just the other day I was trying to remember the exact date without looking it up - must have been something in the ether to make me aware that it was coming, because I hadn't though ot this event in years and years...)

[Seahawk]

I was underway on the USS Crommelin, FFG-37.

News came over Naval Message.

[speeder]

Was gathered around a television set at Westwood Porsche, where I was working, with co-workers. I remember it very distinctly, (not the sort of thing you forget), but I do not remember what anyone said at the time.

I think it took a moment or two to accept what we had just seen, as a nation we had gotten used to space launches being almost routine in their successful execution. Sad day...

[LEAKYSEALS951]

You guys make me feel young- I was in high school gym class at the time.
This thread got me doing some random google searches. Not challenger related- but Columbia related detailed report. Perhaps a similar challenger report is available.

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/298870main_SP-2008-565.pdf

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I remember it like yesterday. I had just gotten out of a midterm exam when another student told me "hey the space shuttle just blew up". I had a reputation as being an aerospace nut so I figured he was just yanking my chain for fun but I found out about 20 minutes later that it had actually happened (radio broadcast).

R.I.P. to all.

I've been by the "vault" on the way to the launch complex at KSC too (where all the wreckage is stored). Pretty sobering to see that with the launch pad that they departed from in the background.

Space travel - like air travel - is never "routine". It will always come with some degree of risk. As with air travel it's unfortunately through the sacrifice of early pioneers like the Challenger crew that gives us the knowledge and experience to make it safer (but never completely safe). NASA took a lickin' for it (and deservedly so!) and unquestionably learned a lot (just as with Apollo I and Columbia, etc...)

[Christien]

I was in grade 1. I remember the teacher bringing in a TV and watching it. I don't remember if it was live or the news broadcast after the fact, but I remember vividly watching the explosion. I even remember where in the room the TV was, and thus the layout of the room. Funny how those kinds of events get forever etched in your memory.

[sand_man]

I was a junior in high school. I was sitting in Mr. Suarez's Mechanical Drawing/Drafting class, when our school principal announced the tragedy over the PA.

[sand_man]

Don't know if this is conclusive, but I found it interesting how all of this was pieced together:

[Nostril Cheese]

Watched it live on TV in second grade. They made a big deal about the teacher in space.

[jshape]

Was in the dentist's chair. Receptionist came in with the news and we all went to the lobby to watch the coverage.

[carreradpt]

Was on an USAF C141 mission having just air dropped equipment at Biggs in Texas when ATC told us. We were headed to Pope in NC and when we landed we went straight to command post and watched in stunned disbelief the news coverage.

[GH85Carrera]

It is one of the moments like the Kennedy assassination, Man landing on the moon, the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11 attacks.

It is sad that only man on the moon is a positive memory.

[Tobra]

I had just aced a Business Econ exam. It was on TV in the common room in the dorm.

[syncroid]

I was working in the parts department at Bruce Canepa Motorcars in Santa Cruz when I heard the news. I could't believe what I was hearing.

[KNS]

I didn't watch it on TV and didn't even realize it happened until I got to work. One of my coworkers, an elderly gal was devastated (her son was a NASA astronaut and training for a future mission).

[KevinTodd]

Still remember it like it was yesterday. Was on 95 South in Daytona headed toward Lauderdale to catch a flight to the Bahamas. Saw the launch, saw the explosion. Had to pull over as I was literally sick to my stomach, then listened to the radio broadcasters trying to piece together what the hell had just happened. The shuttle program and KSC was always a point of special pride for every Floridian, so needless to say, the rest of the week was spent in nearly silent contemplation.

I was watching an anniversary special about this just the other night, and I got tears in my eyes again.

I still have the Challenger license plate that I had on several cars during that period. It was on an '86 E30 at the time of this tragedy.

I still can hear the twin sonic booms of the shuttle breaking through the sound barrier when it would land at Merritt after each successful mission, and at that time I was in Orlando.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by KevinTodd

I still can hear the twin sonic booms of the shuttle breaking through the sound barrier when it would land at Merritt after each successful mission, and at that time I was in Orlando.

Remember those booms vividly. My dad took us out to Edwards once to watch the Shuttle land. Very cool.