Ronald Reagan

“ Indeed, much was taken when we lost Challenger's brave crew. Yet much abides, because the American people will forever remember them and salute the devotion to excellence that characterized them and continues to characterize the members of the U.S. space program. That spirit has manifested itself again and again as we have journeyed to the moon and probed planets, our solar system, and beyond. It thrives today as we seek a permanent base in space and further manned exploration. ”

“ The Challenger crew made the supreme sacrifice on their quest to extend man's horizons. As we resolve to go forward in space, let us always take with us the spirit of vision, skill, and excellence.
That spirit was evident on September 29, 1988, when the Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from the launch pad. There could be no more fitting testimony to the Challenger crew and the excellence they personified than this mission, which returned our Nation to manned space flight. May our boundless dreams continue to inspire us in the pursuit of excellence-in space and in every endeavor. ”

“ In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth. ”