The Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle Accidents

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The Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle accidents During the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle accidents, there were key factors that contributed to each incident. In the midst of take-off, the Challenger began to leak hot combustible gases, which cause the destruction of the space shuttle. The leak happened between the O-ring and SRB segments and the explosion was inevitable. The Columbia tragedy had begun at launch and reentry. As Columbia Space Shuttle launched, foam insulation came off and damage left wing’s thermal protection system. The heat of reentry destroyed the left wing and lead to the breakup of the orbiter. Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle accidents are examples of human error and negligence. The Challenger suffered from negligence with no room to blame human imperfections. Engineers wanted to delay Challenger’s take-off; because warmer temperatures produce better launch probability. However, these concerns were ignored. The O-ring was frozen and could not allow joint flexure, which allows prevents leaks. The Columbia Space Shuttle accident is an example of both. The shedding of foam “normalized of deviance” violates human spaceflight safely. None the less, past space shuttles lunched have been successful with foam shedding. Even though ethical rights were ignored, no one wants people to die or be injured. References: Virginia Tech Digital Library and Archives (2012, March 11). Techné v10n1 - Part 1: Technology and Normativity - From Challenger to Columbia: What lessons can we learn from the report of the Columbia accident investigation board for engineering ethics? Retrieved November 19, 2013, from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/SPT/v10n1/murata.html Gale Learning Center (2008). GICLogout. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from

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