Challenger Space Shuttle Research Paper

Words: 920

Pages: 4

Open Document

On January 28, 1986, the American shuttle orbiter Challenger broke up 73 seconds after liftoff and brought a devastating end to the spacecraft’s 10th mission. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts aboard. NASA had initially wanted to put man on the moon through the Apollo program. However, as Apollo was nearing completion, the cost of the Vietnam War was rising. As an alternative to the expensive Apollo program, the Space Shuttle program was proposed. On January 5, 1972, President Nixon approved the new program. The mission of launching the Challenger space shuttle was initially set for January 22, 1986. However, due to weather and technical problems, the launch was delayed by six days. The morning of January 28 was unusually cold. The engineers became concerned and issued warnings that particular components, specifically the rubber O-rings that sealed the joints of the shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, were susceptible to failure at low temperatures. Shortly after the disaster, President Ronald Reagan appointed a special commission to figure …show more content…
28, 1986, was flawed because one of the pieces wouldn't hold up in the cold temperatures predicted for that day. He and other scientists explained this to NASA the night before launch, however their objections were disregarded. He then refused to sign off on the required launch recommendation report, even though he knew that his career could be at risk.When he heard that a cold front was coming in on the scheduled launch day, McDonald alerted some of the other engineers to look into how the low temperatures would affect the O-rings which are the circular pieces of rubber that span 12 feet in diameter that seal the metal cylinders of the rocket booster together so that no gases can escape. McDonald knew that in cold temperatures, the rubber hardens and loses its

Organizations Inability to Incorporate Major Change Even in the Shadow of Failure Essay

AMU Abstract Looking at how two different organizations, NASA and the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center dealt with large problems and why there seems to be a lack of change within these types of organizations even after large scale failures. The author looks at research done surrounding the Space Shuttle Columbia and Challenger accidents and firsthand knowledge of how a small nonprofit space museum handle the institutional change needed after public failures. From how an emergency room doctor…

Words 3190 - Pages 13

The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Essay examples

RISK CASE STUDY – ASSIGNEMENT 2 August 3, 20111 THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER DISASTER Risk Management Plan 1. Risk management plan summarizes risk management approach, list methodologies and processes, defines everyone’s role – definition of risk management plan. NASA was using for the most part qualitative risk assessment process. Launch of the shuttle was allowed as long as aggregate risk remained acceptable. Quantitive method was applied for risk assessment because if the complex…

Words 2672 - Pages 11

Groupthink Theory

Theory Paper: Groupthink August Weinstein Ithaca College STCM 10300 Section 1 February 5, 2015 The Oxford Dictionary defines theory as a system of ideas intended to explain something; especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained. Irving Janis, a research psychologist from Yale University, developed a theory that described the systematic errors made by groups when making a collective decision. “Groupthink is a concurrence-seeking tendency among group…

Words 1175 - Pages 5

Aviation: National Transportation Safety Board and Organizational Culture Essay

thereof, and can be a valuable predictor of safety culture. Striving for a safety culture is a continuous journey that involves nine milestones along the way. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE 3 In the early morning hours of February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over the skies of the southwestern United States while re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. The lives of all seven astronauts were lost. Many will recall that leading to the accident was foam that dislodged and struck Columbia…

Words 4863 - Pages 20

Generations in the Workplace Essay

psychological differences been thrust together to work as a team and forced to get along with each other. This paper will attempt to explain these differences and how to possibly overcome these differences. Summaries and Critiques 1st Article: Young workers’ work values, attitudes, and behaviors. According to Loughlin and Barling (2001), young workers are the workforce of the future. This paper focuses on 2 major influences on their work values, attitudes, and behaviors; the influences of their families…

Words 3620 - Pages 15

Critical Thinking Essay in Comparative Business Ethics

If the last fifty years of psychological research has proven anything, it’s that the situational often dominates the dispositional. That is to say, our disposition or desire to be good people can be overwhelmed by psychological or organizational factors that we may not even be aware of. These factors…

Words 5096 - Pages 21

Wordsmith 5e Ch10 Essay

that can be used to express an opinion, analyze a poem, or compare two methods of government. Shrunk down a bit, it can be used to answer a question on an essay test or an employment application. Expanded a bit, it can be used to write a research paper, a term paper, or even a master’s thesis. Even this textbook is, in many ways, an expansion of the essay format. #(!04%2s7RITINGAN%SSAY 173 Focus on the Essay: Beginning to End 4HE$ARK+NIGHT, which featured Heath Ledger as the Joker and…

Words 8784 - Pages 36