Space Shuttle Challenger

Space Shuttle Challenger

1. People

   • NASA & Contractors aware of design flaw
   • First teacher to give lesson while in orbit
   • Astronauts training 37 weeks prior
   • Ground Control Crew & Astronauts everything appeared normal during take off

2. Management

   • Organisational/System Factors
     • Solid rocket boosters built in sections
     • Shuttle development capped
     • NASA reputation under pressure
     • Delays in launching
     • Pressure from the media on broadcasting flight
   • Information Transfer
     • Thiokol engineers recommanded aborting flight
     • Thiokol managers overruled engineers
     • Morton Thiokol or NASA notified NASA Officials
     • Safety program workforce not included in decision to launch
     • Lack of reporting critical issues to NASA
   • Job Design
     • Place two satellites into orbit
     • conducting experiments relating to fly-by of Haley's Comet
     • Raise interest among youth in the space program
     • Periodic review of mission occurred seven months earlier

3. Workplace

   • Work Environment
     • Freezing temperatures morning of launch
     • Ice built up on structures
   • Equipment Design
     • O'ring failure rate 1 in 25
     • Expensive
     • O'ring wasn't tested for the extreme low tempurature
     • NASA previous space travel
   • Workplace Factors
     • Safety program workforce reduced
     • Increased payloads
     • First launch at 39B