posted 06-06-2004 05:18 PM               

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high unsurpassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

posted 06-07-2004 08:32 AM               

• Spaceflight Now: President Reagan dies
  
• Florida Today: With acts and in words, Reagan advanced space
  
• Space Review: Ronald Reagan's space policy legacy

posted 06-07-2004 10:37 AM               

For those who have never read or heard Reagan's Challenger address here it is.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

[To] the families of the seven: we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved 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 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget 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 takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs 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 don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't 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 ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved an impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

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."

posted 06-07-2004 04:49 PM               

NASA Remembers the Legacy of President Ronald Reagan

The NASA TV "Video-File" (Newsfeed) will feature "A Tribute to Ronald Reagan" beginning today, June 7, at 6:00 p.m. (EDT).

The 6-minute, 45-second package includes historical footage, audio tracks and still images of President Reagan making space-related announcements and speeches. It also features his participation in NASA related events during his presidency.

Among the tribute's highlights: Reagan's directing NASA in 1982 to build an international space station; his eulogizing of the Challenger astronauts in 1986; and Reagan's Earth-to-Space Shuttle phone call congratulating Guy Bluford on becoming the first African-American in space in August of 1983.

posted 06-09-2004 05:36 PM               

I remember us cheering at the STS-26 send off when someone hung the presidential seal on the front of the podium! After all of our waiting, he was finally going to come on stage. Hauck and the rest of the crew looked glad to see him also.

His support for space station won't be forgotten either.

There's a copy of Magee's Hight Flight etched in brass in my office. Every now and then when I look at the plaque I think of Reagan also. The story of Magee is worth a whole thread unto itself.

posted 06-09-2004 05:36 PM               

I was only ten years old when Mr. Reagan left office. At such a young age, I knew him as the President but not much more, as I was not interested in politics. But I do have vivid memories of two things.

One, was watching the news with my father early one morning, and they talked about a major nuclear arms agreement being reached during a summit between Mr. Reagan and Soviet President Gorbachev. I asked my dad "Does this mean there will be no nuclear war?" and he replied "Yes." And I was so happy.

The other memory was listening to the BBC one night with my dad on his shortwave when the first reports of the Berlin Wall being torn down came in. I remember my dad saying "Well, it looks like Gorbachev is finally tearing down that wall." Even though I was young, I understood the significance of what was happening.

Thank you, Mr. Reagan, for everything you did for the world. You are truly one of our greatest Presidents.

I would also like to send out special condolences to Mrs. Reagan. It takes a person with a strong heart, mind, and soul to so lovingly take care of a spouse like she did in his last days. I know, because my grandmother was such a woman as she took care of my grandfather in his dying days. I have the highest respect for Mrs. Reagan. God bless her, and God bless Ronald Reagan.

posted 06-12-2004 01:02 PM            

A single fighter jet then flew almost directly overhead at a altitude of 1000 feet and was followed by five formations of four fighter planes. In the last formation, one of the planes seperated and climbed sharply to a much higher altitude in the "Missing Man Formation." The color gaurd then appeared and was followed by the horse drawn cassion bearing the casket of President Reagan covered by the flag that flew from the Capital Building on Jan. 20, 1981 — the day that Presindent Reagan became our 40th President.

A colorguardsman followed holding the flag of the President of the United States. A black riderless horse followed with the boots that President Reagan had worn when he went horseback riding turned backwards in the stirrups.

I could see the procession turn into the Capital grouds one block away. Because of the trees I was unable to see the procession after they turned into the Capital but I stayed hoping to hear the band play as the three teams of honor guadsman carried President Reagan up the steps and into the rotunda of the Capital. However the sound from the band did not carry far enough for me to do so.

The four artillery canons were one block from where I stood — by the Robert Taft Memorial — and I could easily hear them and see the flames and smoke coming from them as they fired a 21 gun salute.

posted 06-14-2004 04:30 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by pokey:
His support for space station won't be forgotten either.

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posted 06-18-2004 09:37 AM               

As President Reagan said, "Our progress in space, taking giant steps for all mankind, is a tribute to American teamwork and excellence. Our finest minds in government, industry and academia have all pulled together. And we can be proud to say: We are first; we are the best; and we are so because we're free.

May God bless President Ronald Reagan. We are indebted to him for his visionary and persistent leadership. On behalf of all members of the NASA family, we offer our condolences to the Reagan family in their time of reflection on his contributions to them and, indeed, all Americans.

posted 06-24-2004 06:04 PM               

Finally winning the battle over Florida's summertime weather after three earlier losses, a Boeing Delta 2 rocket roared to space Wednesday and deployed a Global Positioning System military navigation satellite in a mission dedicated to the memory of President Ronald Reagan.

...the pad's umbilical tower featured a sign reading "Launch One For 'The Gipper'" in remembrance of President Reagan. The 40th president of the United States passed away June 5.