I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.Īnd I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to wonders in this century. 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. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. We mourn their loss as a nation together.įor the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. 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. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight we've never had a tragedy like this. Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. 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.
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