The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great confusion and turmoil in the United States. Americans were afraid, paranoid, and insecure due to events like Watergate, Arab oil price hikes, and the Iranian hostage situation. The U.S. Space Program, or NASA, was becoming more successful in the 1980s, with continued advancements that allowed space exploration to be less expensive and more rewarding. The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, on January 28, 1986, changed the American character by once again proving that the U.S. was not perfect and that even the U.S. Space Program was capable of making mistakes. The cold hard facts and answers from the interviews help to paint a picture of how the explosion affected the American character.
             Americans were unsure about missions to space during the 1970s, but by 1986, shuttle missions into space were taken for granted by Americans. Many believed that the missions to space were just as routine and simple as a bus ride to work. This flight of the Challenger was unique for two reasons. First, because a civilian and teacher named Christa McAuliffe was aboard the shuttle. She had plans to broadcast school lessons to children all over the United States. The shuttle was secondly unique, because the crew was very diverse. They ranged from having different sexes, religions, races, and they came from many different backgrounds. Americans were somewhat able to relate to this crew.
             The Challenger was scheduled to be launched into space on January 20, 1986, but due to a delay in the landing of the Columbus the departure was rescheduled for the 25th of January. On January 25, large dust storms prevented the launching and it was postponed for the next day. The next day came and the launch did not take place because of some damage done to the shuttle. On January 27, the shuttle was ready to go and in the last nine minutes before take-off the counter was stopp
             ...