Challenger Explosion
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great confusion and turmoil in the United States. Americans were afraid, paranoid, and insecure due to events like Watergate, Arab oil price hikes, and the Iranian hostage situation. The U.S. Space Program, or NASA, was becoming more successful in the 1980s, with continued advancements that allowed space exploration to be less expensive and more rewarding. The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, on January 28, 1986, changed the American character by once again proving that the U.S. was not perfect and that even the U.S. Space Program was capable of making mistakes. The cold hard facts and answers from the interviews help to paint a picture of how the explosion affected the American character. Americans were unsure about missions to space during the 1970s, but by 1986, shuttle missions into space were taken for granted by Americans. Many believed that the missions to space were just as routine and simple as a bus ride to work. This flight of the Challenger was unique for two reasons. First, because a civilian and teacher named Christa McAuliffe was aboard the shuttle. She had plans to broadcast school lessons to children all over the Unit
The explosion of the Challenger had a large effect on the people who were old enough to remember it. Most of the people who would have gone up in the Challenger in place of Christa McAuliffe felt that the chance to go into space far exceeded the risks involved in space travel. (A, B, and D) As described by many Americans, shock was the first emotion that they felt after they heard about the explosion. Very few were watching the shuttle take-off live but many tuned in to see and hear the replay on the news and over the radio. (A, B, C, D, and E) Many families, communities, and even the country did special things to honor the seven people that lost their lives. Flags flew at half-mast, memorials were held, and the Olympic torch was lit in memory of the deceased seven. President Ronald Regan postponed his State of the Union address in order to deliver a special and moving tribute to the "Challenger Seven." One-person even recalls that a special prayer for the crewmembers and their families was offered in her church the following Sunday. (E) There are many schools in the Western Washington area named after Christa McAuliffe and Francis "Dick" Scobee. There is widespread opinion about whether or not the crewmembers are heroes or victims. Some say that they were heroes in their role as astronauts but victims of a dangerous and unexpected crash. (A, B, and C) Others say that they are heroes alone and that victim is not the right way to describe them. (E) Still more say that neither the term hero nor victim applies to the crewmembers
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1045
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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