The Challenger

The Space Shuttle Challenger was one of NASA's greatest triumphs. It was the second shuttle to reach space, in April 1983. It successfully completed nine milestone missions before its tragedy claimed the life of seven astronauts. The shuttle Challenger's mission on January 28, 1986 was meant to mark a milestone in spaceflight: the first orbital voyage of an American teacher. Before the tragedy the Challenger was the most flown orbiter in NASA’s fleet. Previously the Challenger had issues with hydrogen leaks and cracks in the main engine. NASA was ordered to use a weaker sealant for environmental reasons. NASA has been accused of launching the Challenger under unsafe conditions due to pressure from powerful politicians even considering the unsafe conditions. In this paper, I will explain the circumstances surrounding the events and factors leading up to the launch of the Challenger.

The launch of the Shuttle Challenger was supposed to set launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, delays with the weather caused the launch date to be pushed back and location changed to Cape Canaveral in Florida. On January 27, 1986, the predicted temperature for the launch was 26 to 29 degrees with high winds. There was concern that oxide rings would not seal at such cold temperatures, so the engineers who designed the rocket were opposed to the Challenger launching following the next day. When the technicians on the scene identified that the threads of the connecting bolts, were faulty they tried to fix them, but it was unsuccessful and so they were stripped. The oxide rings were also tested and they found erosion problems. At that point, some commissioners and engineers voiced their opposition to the launch because they knew the effect of the cold weather on the shuttle. The day of the launch came quickly and there was still a great deal of concern about the possible effects of the weather. Morton Thiokol management asked its engineers to reconsider...