George H. W. Bush

Remarks Announcing the Winner of the Teacher in Space Project

Presented on July 19, 1985

Ronald Reagan

Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle

Challenger

Presented on January 28, 1986

The midair explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986, marked the first major in-flight disaster in the history of the U.S. space program. Seven passengers—the entire crew—lost their lives. Mourned by the nation, the loss of the crew and the shuttle resulted in an official investigation that called for far-ranging reforms in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The seven-member crew of the space shuttle Challenger—Francis R. Scobee (1939–1986), Michael J. Smith (1945–1986), Ellison S. Onizuka (1946–1986), Ronald McNair (1946–1986), Judith A. Resnick (1949–1986), Gregory Jarvis (1944–1986), and Christa McAuliffe (1948–1986)—were used to national attention prior to the horrific tragedy of January 28. Christa McAuliffe was not a trained pilot or a scientist. She was...