Thirty years ago, seven crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger died after the vehicle exploded shortly after takeoff. President Reagan, preparing to deliver the State of the Union address on the evening of Jan. 28, 1986, postponed the address for a week and instead addressed the nation from the Oval Office.
In the speech, written by Peggy Noonan, Reagan sought to comfort the nation, speaking directly to school children and telling them not to lose heart. He also encouraged Americans not to give up on the space program, and lauded NASA employees for their “dedication and professionalism. “We know of your anguish. We share it.”
He went on to quote the poet John Magee, saying the astronauts had “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”
