Ronald Reagan Looks Forward to the Future of the Space Program, Even Private Funding of Space Missions

A remarkable letter of Reagan, never before offered for sale, acquired from the descendants of the recipient.

The space shuttle Challenger became the second shuttle to reach space, when it was launched successfully in April 1983. It successfully completed nine milestone missions during its nearly three years of service. In total, the spacecraft spent 62 days, 7 hours, 56 minutes and 22 seconds in space. Challenger hosted the first spacewalk of the space shuttle program on April 7, 1983, and carried the first American female and first black astronauts. Before it was launched again, NASA created an initiative to give people from all walks of life a chance to experience spaceflight firsthand. The first such civilian would be a teacher, one in the new Teacher in Space program, who would be selected from 11,000 teacher applicants for the historic chance.

Douglas Morrow was a Hollywood screenwriter and film producer. He earned an Academy Award for his script for 1949’s The Stratton Story, a biography of Baseball player Monty Stratton, who was disabled in a hunting accident. Reagan, who catapulted to fame as an actor, became friends with Morrow when Morrow sought to cast him in that part, remained friends throughout the Hollywood days and kept in contact through most of his presidency.

On January 28, 1986, the shuttle exploded in front of a national audience. It was a major moment in Reagan’s presidency. The nation mourned but looked to the future of the space program.

Typed letter signed, the White House, July 16, 1986, to Morrow, signed “Ron.” “Dear Doug: Wait up a minute. On the shuttle, money isn’t the big delay – safety is. It’s true I wanted to look into this private funding because it was coming up from several directions. urned out, there would be a conflict with the private sector which is moving toward commercial launching of satellites.

“Doug, Jim Fletcher was in yesterday with a full report. He has declared that the next shuttle launch can’t be scheduled until the first quarter of 1988. The study of and testing of the solid rocket boosters are part of the problem. Added to this are safety features on the shuttles themselves, which are being studied. Yes, the money problem has to do with several hundred million to make a start, but it’s my understanding from Jim that this does not change that 1988 date.

“I know this is a disappointment to you, but unless I heard him wrong, ’88 is the scheduled time. Love to Margot.”

This was acquired from the descendants of the recipient and has never before been offered for sale.