Who was the Morton Thiokol employee in Utah who was pushing hardest to delay the Challenger launch?

Who was the Morton Thiokol employee in Utah who was pushing hardest to delay the Challenger launch?

Roger Boisjoly was a booster rocket engineer at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol in Utah in January, 1986, when he and four colleagues became embroiled in the fatal decision to launch the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Why did the O-ring fail?

The most common causes of O-Ring failures include: Improper gland design, allowing for too much or too little compression, not enough for seal expansion and tolerance stack-up. Incorrect O-Ring size. Incompatibility of O-Ring elastomer and environmental elements.

What failed on the challenger?

The disaster began after a joint in the Space Shuttle’s right solid rocket booster (SRB) failed at liftoff. The failure was caused by the failure of O-ring seals used in the joint, in part because of the unusually cold temperatures at the time of launch.

What was the reaction of Thiokol and NASA?

Neither Thiokol nor NASA expected the rubber O-rings sealing the joints to be touched by hot gases of motor ignition, much less to be partially burned. However, as tests and then flights confirmed damage to the sealing rings, the reaction by both NASA and Thiokol was to increase the amount of damage considered “acceptable.”

When was the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger?

Oct. 5, 1984, Launch of History-Making STS-41G Mission. A Florida dawn scene on Oct. 5, 1984 forms the backdrop for the climbing Space Shuttle Challenger, its two solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank, launched on the eight-day STS-41G mission. The scene was photographed by astronaut Paul J.

Who was killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster?

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. On January 28, 1986, the NASA shuttle orbiter mission STS-51-L and the tenth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-99) broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members, which consisted of five NASA astronauts and two payload specialists.

What did Thiokol say about the O-ring problem?

Thiokol even went as far as to persuade NASA to declare the O-ring problem “closed”. General Donald Kutyna, a member of the Rogers Commission, later likened this situation to an airline permitting one of its planes to continue to fly despite evidence that one of its wings was about to fall off.

Who was the Morton Thiokol employee in Utah who was pushing hardest to delay the Challenger launch? Roger Boisjoly was a booster rocket engineer at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol in Utah in January, 1986, when he and four colleagues became embroiled in the fatal decision to launch the Space Shuttle Challenger. Why did the O-ring…