Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an austronauts i flight. We've never had a tragedy like this. And parhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shutle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brolliantly. We mourn seven heroes. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
For the families of the seven, we can not bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we are thinking about you so very much. Your lover ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says "Give me a challenge, and i'll meet it with joy". They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.
We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the USA space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and, perhaps we forgotten that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It is all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It is all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future does not belong to the faintheartered: it is belong to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.
I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We do not hide our space program. We do to keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That is the way freedom is, and we would not change it for a minute.
We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ands here: our hopes and our journeys continue.
I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and women who works for NASA, or who worked on this mission and tell them "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of our anguish. We share it."