Reagan delivered the "Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Address" under highly controlled circumstances. Seated behind his desk in the Oval Office, likely on his favorite sitting-pillow, he was face-to-face with a television camera. Though there was a sizeable camera crew in the room, he didn't have to contend with a giant live audience. (Source)

At least not in person.

That doesn't mean the pressure wasn't on. Within a matter of hours, Reagan's speechwriters had to concoct something for the president to say to the country, and it had to be perfect.

This job went to Peggy Noonan, in part because her coworkers thought that a woman would do a better job of writing an emotional speech. Turns out she was just a highly skilled and talented writer who also happened to be a woman, and she did an amazing job.

With little time to draft the speech, and even less time for Reagan's PR team to tinker with it, Noonan's words made it to the president with little alteration. Some of Reagan's advisers wanted "pained to the core" removed because they thought it was too soft. (Source)

Reagan himself apparently had doubts about the speech overall. But he delivered it anyway.

In length the speech is very short, taking Reagan about only four minutes to deliver. That's approximately the time it takes to microwave a bag of popcorn.

Knowing Reagan would have to appeal to a large and diverse audience, the structure of the speech is very straightforward. Small paragraphs consist of short sentences almost all the way through, with the exception of the ending. The elaborate language of the final line is made to stand out in contrast to the short sentences and candid vocabulary of the preceding text.

As a result, Reagan was able to deliver the concise speech clearly and calmly with little preparation. His careful and emotive interpretation further enhanced its accessibility and made it one of the most influential speeches of his presidency.

How it Breaks Down

Part 1: Introduction (Sentences 1-5)

Well, Hello

The camera operator has counted down 3...2...1 and President Reagan is live on television. He introduces his speech with a formal greeting to the nation, comments upon the postponement of the State of the Union address, and labels the day as one for grief.

He gets personal and brings his wife, Nancy, into the mix when talking about the emotional pain they both feel and share with country over the Challenger tragedy.

Part 2: Condolences (Sentences 6-16)

Sorry For Your Loss

In this section, Reagan reflects on tragedy. He mentions a previous NASA accident, and then specifically talks about the Challenger Disaster, naming the seven deceased astronauts in the process.

After this he reaches out to the families of the Challenger crew to offer his condolences. In other circumstances, this section might be thought of as packed full of shout-outs and compliments, but in this case it's more like Reagan is paying his respects to the bereaved.

It's all about context, yo.

Part 3: Transition (Sentences 17-22)

Distracting and Beauteous So He Can Change the Subject

Reagan briefly reflects on the wondrousness of space travel and comes to a mini-conclusion here on the subject of the Challenger Seven. He's beginning to shift away from discussing death to focus on other topics, like NASA.

Part 4: An Aside (Sentences 23-28)

That's One Way to Keep Them From Watching Too Much TV

Before talking about NASA, however, Reagan does a little bit of damage control. He speaks directly to the children who watched the disaster unfold on TV He offers some "comforting" thoughts about bravery and loss.

Part 5: Reassurances (Sentences 29-39)

Really, Everything's Fine

In the second-to-last portion, Reagan pays a lot of attention to NASA. He asserts that just because a disaster has occurred doesn't mean that NASA is any less special and perfect than it was before. He praises its qualities of transparency and ties that to ideas of American freedom.

He enthusiastically supports the continued work of NASA and promises that the future holds many more space shuttle missions.

He also offers his sympathies and support to the employees of NASA.

Part 6: Conclusion (Sentences 40-45)

Houston, We Have a Poem

The final sentences return to the topic of the Challenger Seven. Reagan draws a connection between 16th-century adventurer Sir Francis Drake and the crew because of their shared dedication to human exploration

A poetic final sentence makes for an emotional farewell to the lost astronauts, securing the memory of their demise and the success of the speech itself.