Ronald Reagan Challenger Speech Analysis

The Challenger was the first space craft in America that fatally exploded, and it was one of the most tragic days for many in America. The takeoff of the Challenger was viewed by many, including schoolchildren, who tuned in to watch. Many people were watching the Challenger take off into space, but as it was launched, on January 28, 1986, the Challenger broke apart only seventy-three seconds into its flight. This lead to the deaths of its seven crew members, which were five NASA astronauts and two payload specialists; payload specialists are everyday people that are trained to go into space. One of the payload specialists were going to be one of the first teachers in space, which was from the Teacher in Space Project that was made just in 1984 with Ronald Reagan. The incident of the Challenger called for President Reagan to address the issue, and former President Ronald Reagan answered the call with his famous speech, "Shuttle `Challenger ' Disaster Address." Within his speech, Reagan not only addressed the issue, but he comforted those who tuned in to watch, paid tribute to the astronauts for their service, and also encouraged future space quest. Ronald Reagan’s tone was very empathetic, but also his deliverance in the message was very sincere. …show more content…
The Challenger address has a straightforward three part speech outline which is the past, present, and future. It begins with the “terrible accident” on the ground, nineteen years beforehand, explaining how there has never been an astronaut in flight. Reagan then goes into their present time, the Challenger accident, and explains how he and the nation as a whole can not “bear the full impact of this tragedy." He then goes into the future of the space program and explains how it is not the end of the quest in space, and that the “hopes and journeys of the future will