How we cite our quotes: (Sentence)
Quote #4
The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them. (28)
Reagan implies that the Challenger Seven were already part of the future (because of their bravery), and even though they were killed in action, they still symbolically remain there. He turns them into beacons of the future and trailblazers whose excellence we should strive to emulate.
Quote #5
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. 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." (44-45)
Reagan gets a bit spiritual here, citing a poem originally written in 1941 by a nineteen-year-old Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot. He's reiterating the Challenger Seven's heroism and suggests their presence in heaven.