Beyond the Stars –NASA’s 50 Years of Manned Space Flight Part 7 the Final Voyage of Challenger

This 6,400 word monograph, illustrated by more than three dozen photos, many unpublished or rarely seen in more than 25 years. It examines the the root cause for the loss of the orbiter and its seven person crew. It reviews the poor judgement by some, lack of communications and looking back over the decision to launch, it is difficult to understand why NASA launched the Challenger that morning. The technical issues with the O-rings and joint were well documented.

The inherent risk of the Space Shuttle program is defined by the combination of a highly dynamic environment, enormous energies, mechanical complexities, time consuming preparations and extremely time-critical decision making. Complacency and failures in supervision and reporting seriously aggravate these risks. Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident.