President Ronald Reagan addressed the country emotionally on January 28, 1986, the day after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded catastrophically. This speech was aimed at taking the place of the State of the Union address, and it accomplished two goals: the speech brought the nation together in the time of sadness and expressed grief over the national catastrophe. Reagan, who was also known as "The Great Communicator," used his great speech abilities to spread a message of hope and resiliency. Reagan effectively used rhetorical strategies and appeals in his speech to console the country at the time of mourning and to reaffirm America's commitment to space exploration, as this terrible event discouraged a lot. The 40th President of the United States, at that time, Ronald Reagan, had quite a professional life before taking office, he served as Governor of California and was once an …show more content…
Reagan's speech served solely to pay tribute to the members of the Challenger crew and to the families of the crew that had passed away and to commemorate their great loss that they had endured, and the whole country at large. The speech given on the same day as the disaster was intended to provide guidance and comfort to a nation in grief, as well as to fill the void left by the cancelled State of the Union address. The speech was titled "Explosions of the Space Shuttle Challenger", which skillfully combines the use of ethos and pathos. Reagan uses the names of the seven astronauts to put a face on the disaster and let the country join in the national grief and lamentations. His citation of the crew's courage and spirit of adventure encourages and unites the people that were behind the aspiration for space exploration. Reagan spoke to all Americans, but in particular the families of the Challenger crew and the students who witnessed the terrible event