Texto en Español
Roger Boisjoly on the Challenger Disaster
V. Temperature Forecast for Challenger Flight
Question:
Contrary to everyone's expectations, it is now predicted that the next day's temperature in Florida will exceed the record cold experienced the previous year. The next day is the day scheduled for the Challenger flight. Boisjoly is firmly convinced that this extreme weather condition presents a major threat to the capacity of the O-ring seals to perform their function, and thus to the survival of the flight crew. Time is short. What actions are appropriate to take in such a situation?
Answer: Inform the media.
You have good reason to think you will convince management, so why go outside at this point, rather than give your company a chance to act appropriately.
Further actions to possibly take:
Supporting Materials to Aid Decision Making
- Morton Thiokol and the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
- Essay by Roger Boisjoly. A background summary of important events leading to the Challenger disaster starting with January, 1985, plus the specifics of the telecon meeting held the night prior to the launch at which an attempt was made to stop the launch by the Morton Thiokol engineers. In the essay he argues that the off-line telecon caucus by Morton Thiokol Management constituted the unethical decision-making forum which ultimately produced the management decision to launch Challenger without any restrictions.
- 7/31/85 Memo about O-Ring Erosion
- 8/22/85 Memo from A.R. Thompson on the Flight Seal
- What Went Wrong With the Solid Rocket Booster
- Morton Thiokol Wasatch Division Corporate Structure
- Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident
- Representation and Misrepresentation: Tufte and the Morton Thiokol Engineers on the Challenger