The Challenger (NASA)

It was a video clip on the discussion with NASA, TAIOKOL, and their engineers, on the night before the launch. It was the first time NASA welcomed qualified people on board together to go to space feel the extraordinary experience apart from astronauts. NASA had launched space shuttles into the space and having its astronauts coming back in one piece for 19 times before that, and the twentieth marked the first time it would be taking customers “for a ride”.

The engineers from TAIOKOL were extremely uncertain the day before the launch. From their Point of View, the old rings in the shuttles were too cold and has thus contracted, thus it cannot serve its function of sealing up the gases such that they do not leak out. Yet, NASA thinks that they should, and have, to launch the space craft or they could not explain to the rest of the world, and The Challengers. The engineers took several pictures of the old rings in the space craft but they stated that from their personal experience, the old rings looked blacker than normal and are afraid, not ready for the next day. The temperature outside that day was around 17 degrees, which is way lower than the minimum temperature the old rings were designed to accommodate for.

Yet, NASA rebutted by stating two examples of which also flew when the temperature was below the range old rings could withstand and still seal and nothing happened to them. The engineers could very well explain to NASA about why, but they did not know how, and the next day, the space shuttle exploded a few minutes after its take off…….

From this video clip, i have learnt many lessons, the first being how important every single step is in making decision, especially heavy ones like whether the space craft should take off the next day. It is absolutely necessary to make sure of everything and plan it ahead. The mistakes made in the film that caused the disaster was the firstly, the engineers should not have just gave up when they knew something was just not right. Next, they should have, like NASA said, brought up the issue about just how cold can the old ring function in. Thirdly, this discussion should not have even took place just the night before the takeoff, it should have been planned way ahead, such that they can have time to discuss of any sudden change.