Going where few, if any, have gone before takes some major guts. It's a gamble. Once you're off, going back is no longer an option. Sometimes you discover a room full of pillows and Labrador retriever puppies. Sometimes you plummet into a tiger pit full of hand-hewn bamboo spikes to the sound of frantic bongo music.
Hopefully, it's the former.
Accepting those risks takes just as much courage as embarking on the adventure itself. In "Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Address," Reagan is praising the Challenger Seven for their acceptance of the dangers of their mission.
Questions About Courage
- Why does President Reagan focus so much attention on the future? Does it have any connection to the geopolitical situation of the Cold War?
- How does the speech connect the theme of courage with the theme of exploration?
- Are the Challenger Seven inadvertently characterized as thrill-seekers?
Chew on This
The Challenger Seven were especially brave—it's much easier to be an astronaut today than it was in 1986.
It's inappropriate to speak for the Challenger Seven and assume they were aware of dangers that could not be predicted.