1986 State of the Union Address (lost pre-Challenger disaster version of American presidential speech; existence unconfirmed; 1986): Difference between revisions

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The State of the Union Address is an annual speech given by the United States president to a joint session of the U.S. Congress near the beginning of the year about the current state of the nation.<ref>[https://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/ ''State of the Union Address'' from US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref> The '''1986 State of the Union Address''' was the fifth State of the Union Address given by the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, and was delivered on February 4th, 1986.<ref>[https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/address-joint-session-congress-state-union-1986 ''Address Before a Joint Session of Congress on the State of the Union - 1986'' from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref> The speech was originally supposed to take place on January 28th, 1986 but it was delayed after the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' broke apart 73 seconds into its flight that same day, tragically killing all seven crew members aboard.<ref>[https://nytimes.com/1986/01/29/us/the-shuttle-explosion-reagan-postpones-state-of-union-speech.html ''The Shuttle Explosion; Regan Postpones State of Union Speech'' by Bernard Weinraub from The New York Times.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23. </ref> Due to this Reagan opted to delay the Address and speak to the nation exclusively on these tragic events.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120219124528/http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/12886b.htm ''Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger'' from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library archived on the Wayback Machine.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref> '''Some reports before and after the disaster claim that Reagan had planned to interact with the space shuttle at some point during the State of the Union Address, but these claims have been refuted by the Reagan administration and a pre-''Challenger'' disaster version of the speech has never publicly surfaced.'''
The State of the Union Address is an annual speech given by the United States president to a joint session of the U.S. Congress near the beginning of the year,  remarking on the relevant issues and events of the moment.<ref>[https://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/ ''State of the Union Address'' from US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref> The 1986 SoTU was the fifth such address given by the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, on February 4th of that year.<ref>[https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/address-joint-session-congress-state-union-1986 ''Address Before a Joint Session of Congress on the State of the Union - 1986'' from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref>  
 
The speech was originally supposed to take place on January 28th, but was delayed after the American space shuttle ''Challenger'' broke apart 73 seconds into its flight that same day, tragically killing all seven crew members aboard.<ref>[https://nytimes.com/1986/01/29/us/the-shuttle-explosion-reagan-postpones-state-of-union-speech.html ''The Shuttle Explosion; Regan Postpones State of Union Speech'' by Bernard Weinraub from The New York Times.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23. </ref> Facing a stunned and grieving nation, Reagan opted to focus that night's Presidential remarks exclusively on the disaster.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120219124528/http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/12886b.htm ''Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger'' from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library archived on the Wayback Machine.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref>  
 
Some reports before and after the disaster claim that Reagan had originally planned to interact with the space shuttle crew at some point during the State of the Union Address, but '''these claims have been refuted by the Reagan administration and a pre-''Challenger'' disaster version of the speech has never publicly surfaced.'''


==Background==
==Background==
Leading up to the ''Challenger's'' failed launch it was delayed multiple times. It was first set to launch in July 1985, but was delayed to November, then delayed again to January 22nd, 1986, after being delayed a few more times that month it was delayed for a final time to its actual launch date of January 28th.<ref name=":0">[https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/Rogers_Commission_Report_Vol1.pdf ''Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident'' archived by NASA.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref> Despite this being the final launch date, engineers recommended the launch be delayed again due to massive concerns over the shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRBs), especially the O-rings inside the boosters, and the outside temperature at the time of the shuttle's launch which was 26 °F, a record low for the space program.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the freezing conditions acting Administrator of NASA, William Graham, had the final say on the launch and decided to push forward.<ref name=":1">[https://latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-18-tm-5326-story.html ''Why Challenger Was Doomed'' by Joseph J. Trento and Susan B. Trento from the Los Angeles Times.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref> On the morning of the launch Jane Mayer wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal that reported that Reagan would pause the State of the Union Address and direct everyone's attention to a screen where he would show "hero".<ref>[https://archive.org/details/challengerreveal00cook ''Challenger Revealed'' by Richard C. Cook archived the Internet Archive.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref> A year later in the book, ''Challenger: A Major Malfunction'', author Malcolm McConnell stated that a NASA staff member told him that it was common knowledge amongst staff that the president was supposed to call ''Challenger'' during the State of the Union Address.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/challengermajorm00mcco ''Challenger: A Major Malfunction'' by Malcolm McConnell archived on the Internet Archive.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref> This has led some to believe that Reagan planned to speak to Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire social studies teacher who flew on the shuttle as part of the Teacher in Space Project, during the State of the Union Address while she was in orbit and that William Graham rushed the launch of ''Challenger'' so that this could happen. Graham had been working under Reagan since his 1980 presidential campaign and a lot of Graham's actions as acting Administrator of NASA were seemly in an attempt to please or impress Reagan.<ref name=":1" /> However the Reagan administration has denied any claims that they put any pressure on NASA to launch the shuttle on the 28th.<ref>[https://nytimes.com/1986/04/04/us/white-house-finds-no-pressure-to-launch.html ''White House Finds No Pressure to Launch'' by Gerald M. Boyd from The New York Times.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref>
''Challenger's'' launch had by this point been delayed multiple times, starting in July 1985.<ref name=":0">[https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/Rogers_Commission_Report_Vol1.pdf ''Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident'' archived by NASA.] Retrieved 24 Apr '23.</ref> In the days leading up to the planned Jan 28th launch, NASA's engineers had recommended it be delayed yet again, due to concerns over how the shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRBs), especially the O-ring seals inside the boosters, would perform in subzero temperatures. <ref name=":0" /> Despite this, acting Administrator of NASA William Graham, wary of a snowballing morale and PR disaster, decided to push forward. The O-rings did in fact fail, and the escaping rocket fuel subsequently ignited before the boosters could get clear of the shuttle.<ref name=":1">[https://latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-18-tm-5326-story.html ''Why Challenger Was Doomed'' by Joseph J. Trento and Susan B. Trento from the Los Angeles Times.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref>  
 
On the morning of the launch, Jane Mayer of the ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that President Reagan planned to pause that evening's State of the Union Address and direct the audience's attention to a screen showing "heroes".<ref>[https://archive.org/details/challengerreveal00cook ''Challenger Revealed'' by Richard C. Cook archived the Internet Archive.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref> A year later, in the book ''Challenger: A Major Malfunction'', author Malcolm McConnell writes that a NASA employee told him it was common knowledge at the agency that the reference to 'heroes' meant the President was planning to call ''Challenger''. In particular, he wanted to speak to Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire elementary-school teacher who was aboard the shuttle as a 'payload specialist' (space-exploration-speak for 'passenger') as part of the Teachers in Space Project.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/challengermajorm00mcco ''Challenger: A Major Malfunction'' by Malcolm McConnell archived on the Internet Archive.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref>  
 
Extrapolating from all this, some believe that NASA head Graham had rushed the launch of ''Challenger'' primarily so that the dramatic 'American heroes' moment could happen while McAuliffe was actually in orbit. Graham had been working under Reagan since his 1980 presidential campaign, and as acting Administrator of NASA was noticeably eager to please him.<ref name=":1" /> However the Reagan administration has strongly denied any claims that they put any pressure on NASA to launch the shuttle on the 28th.<ref>[https://nytimes.com/1986/04/04/us/white-house-finds-no-pressure-to-launch.html ''White House Finds No Pressure to Launch'' by Gerald M. Boyd from The New York Times.] Retrieved 25 Apr '23.</ref>
 
==Availability==
Whether or not there is any truth to this theory can not now be confirmed, as the key physical evidence - a verified copy of the pre-disaster SoTU address, indicating who the 'heroes' were intended to be - has never been released, and no other correspondence regarding the incident has surfaced.


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 21:51, 28 September 2023

1986sotu.png

Photo of the House rostrum during the 1986 State of the Union Address. Pictured is President Ronald Reagan (front center), Vice President George H. W. Bush (back left), and Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (back right)

Status: Existence Unconfirmed

The State of the Union Address is an annual speech given by the United States president to a joint session of the U.S. Congress near the beginning of the year, remarking on the relevant issues and events of the moment.[1] The 1986 SoTU was the fifth such address given by the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, on February 4th of that year.[2]

The speech was originally supposed to take place on January 28th, but was delayed after the American space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight that same day, tragically killing all seven crew members aboard.[3] Facing a stunned and grieving nation, Reagan opted to focus that night's Presidential remarks exclusively on the disaster.[4]

Some reports before and after the disaster claim that Reagan had originally planned to interact with the space shuttle crew at some point during the State of the Union Address, but these claims have been refuted by the Reagan administration and a pre-Challenger disaster version of the speech has never publicly surfaced.

Background

Challenger's launch had by this point been delayed multiple times, starting in July 1985.[5] In the days leading up to the planned Jan 28th launch, NASA's engineers had recommended it be delayed yet again, due to concerns over how the shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRBs), especially the O-ring seals inside the boosters, would perform in subzero temperatures. [5] Despite this, acting Administrator of NASA William Graham, wary of a snowballing morale and PR disaster, decided to push forward. The O-rings did in fact fail, and the escaping rocket fuel subsequently ignited before the boosters could get clear of the shuttle.[6]

On the morning of the launch, Jane Mayer of the Wall Street Journal reported that President Reagan planned to pause that evening's State of the Union Address and direct the audience's attention to a screen showing "heroes".[7] A year later, in the book Challenger: A Major Malfunction, author Malcolm McConnell writes that a NASA employee told him it was common knowledge at the agency that the reference to 'heroes' meant the President was planning to call Challenger. In particular, he wanted to speak to Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire elementary-school teacher who was aboard the shuttle as a 'payload specialist' (space-exploration-speak for 'passenger') as part of the Teachers in Space Project.[8]

Extrapolating from all this, some believe that NASA head Graham had rushed the launch of Challenger primarily so that the dramatic 'American heroes' moment could happen while McAuliffe was actually in orbit. Graham had been working under Reagan since his 1980 presidential campaign, and as acting Administrator of NASA was noticeably eager to please him.[6] However the Reagan administration has strongly denied any claims that they put any pressure on NASA to launch the shuttle on the 28th.[9]

Availability

Whether or not there is any truth to this theory can not now be confirmed, as the key physical evidence - a verified copy of the pre-disaster SoTU address, indicating who the 'heroes' were intended to be - has never been released, and no other correspondence regarding the incident has surfaced.

References

  1. ↑ State of the Union Address from US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved 24 Apr '23.
  2. ↑ Address Before a Joint Session of Congress on the State of the Union - 1986 from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. Retrieved 24 Apr '23.
  3. ↑ The Shuttle Explosion; Regan Postpones State of Union Speech by Bernard Weinraub from The New York Times. Retrieved 24 Apr '23.
  4. ↑ Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library archived on the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 Apr '23.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident archived by NASA. Retrieved 24 Apr '23.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Why Challenger Was Doomed by Joseph J. Trento and Susan B. Trento from the Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 Apr '23.
  7. ↑ Challenger Revealed by Richard C. Cook archived the Internet Archive. Retrieved 25 Apr '23.
  8. ↑ Challenger: A Major Malfunction by Malcolm McConnell archived on the Internet Archive. Retrieved 25 Apr '23.
  9. ↑ White House Finds No Pressure to Launch by Gerald M. Boyd from The New York Times. Retrieved 25 Apr '23.
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