Challenger Tragedy: Remembrance and Reflection

Address on the Challenger Tragedy – Guideline Summary

Context and Purpose

• Use a clear opening to explain any change in planned remarks (e.g., shifting from a policy speech to a response to tragedy).
• Frame the occasion as appropriate to the event (here: a national day of mourning and remembrance).
• State directly why the event matters to the whole nation, not just to specialists or officials.

National Mourning and Historical Perspective

• Acknowledge shared grief and name it as a “national loss.”
• Provide historical context to show continuity:
  • Mention prior related tragedies (e.g., loss of three astronauts on the ground 19 years earlier).
  • Highlight what is unprecedented (first loss of astronauts in flight).
• Emphasize the courage involved in the work or mission, noting how it may be taken for granted over time.
• Avoid blame in the immediate aftermath; focus first on honoring sacrifice and recognizing risk.

Tribute to the Challenger Crew

• Name the individuals being honored:
  • Michael Smith
  • Dick Scobee
  • Judith Resnik
  • Ronald McNair
  • Ellison Onizuka
  • Gregory Jarvis
  • Christa McAuliffe
• Use concise, respectful descriptors:
  • Heroes, pioneers, daring, brave, dedicated.
• Highlight key qualities:
  • “Special spirit” that welcomes challenge and meets it with joy.
  • Hunger to explore and discover truth.
  • Desire to serve others through their work.
• Make clear that their efforts benefited the entire nation and advanced exploration.

Message to Families and Children

• Address families directly:
  • Express deep sympathy and shared sorrow.
  • Admit that the broader public cannot fully feel their loss, while affirming solidarity.
• Address young listeners, especially witnesses:
  • Recognize that what they saw is painful and hard to understand.
  • Explain that risk and loss can be part of exploration and discovery.
  • Emphasize courage: “The future does not belong to the faint-hearted; it belongs to the brave.”
• Reinforce that those lost were leading us into the future, and that their example will guide continuing efforts.

Space Exploration and NASA

• Remind readers of the long record of “wonders” and achievements (e.g., 25 years of space exploration).
• Stress that human expansion into new frontiers is still in an early, pioneering stage.
• Reaffirm faith in the mission and institutions involved:
  • State that the tragedy does not diminish respect for the space program.
• Highlight openness and transparency:
  • No secrecy or cover-up; work is done publicly as part of a free society.
• Commit clearly to continuing:
  • More shuttle flights and crews.
  • More volunteers, civilians, and teachers participating.
• Offer direct encouragement to workers and teams:
  • Acknowledge their dedication, professionalism, and anguish.
  • Affirm that their efforts have long impressed the nation.

Historical Parallel and Closing

• Use a brief historical parallel to deepen meaning:
  • Note Sir Francis Drake’s death at sea 390 years earlier.
  • Compare his lifelong devotion to exploration with that of the Challenger crew.
• Conclude with:
  • A pledge that those lost will never be forgotten.
  • A vivid final image of their last moments: preparing, waving goodbye, beginning their journey.
  • A resonant closing line that elevates their sacrifice (e.g., “slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God”).

Exercises

1. How does connecting the tragedy to earlier space accidents shape the audience’s understanding of risk and courage?
2. Why is it important to address both grieving families and children who witnessed the event?
3. Identify two phrases in the guidelines that reinforce the idea that exploration must continue despite tragedy.
4. How does the reference to Sir Francis Drake support the larger theme of pioneering and exploration?
5. If you were writing about a different national tragedy, which three techniques from these guidelines would you use, and why?