USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -As the nation’s leader, President Reagan decided to address the country about the Challenger tragedy. Putting aside his scheduled State of the Union address before Congress, the President instead delivered an Oval Office address to comfort the people as the nation mourned.

Detailed explanation-2: -On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated 46, 000 feet (14 km) above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:39 a.m. EST (16:39 UTC).

Detailed explanation-3: -“The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives, ” Reagan said. “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.

Detailed explanation-4: -On this day in history, Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger-scheduled for a routine launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida-exploded after just 73 seconds in flight, killing all seven Americans on board. The disaster shocked the nation-and led to an immediate pause in the space shuttle program.