What Was The Effect Of The Space Shuttle Challenger

Disaster on NASA and the Future of the United States Space Program?
This was the major question proposed during the late 1980’s. What was the
future of NASA going to be after this terrible disaster? Would there be
enough funding for the continuation of the United States Space Program?
This Challenger explosion was one of the major catastrophes of the entire
Space Program since the beginning of funding for the Space Program was
started. It seems, out of all the mistakes that NASA and the United States
government has ever made, this one made a lasting impression on many
Americans, and foreign authority figures all over the world.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was a major tragedy. However,
it was a tragedy that could have been prevented with a closer inspection of
one of the shuttle’s parts that had been of concern since the entire Space
Shuttle Program had been started; the O-Ring. Inside the Solid Rocket
Booster, there exists certain seals which were the rubber O-rings. The
objective of the O-rings is to act as a seal that is meant to prevent gases
from escaping through the Solid Rocket Booster. One of the main reasons
for the explosion was that O-ring “flexed” and let the gases escape, which
in less than seconds later, caught fire and created the explosion.

Among the other minor problems were those of electrical problems and
faulty gages which were just “overlooked” because the problems were only
minor and they posed no real threat to the safety of the mission or the
crew of seven(7).

11:39:17am, Tuesday, January 28th, 1986. As the Space Shuttle
Challenger soared into the sky that morning, 74 seconds into flight, it
exploded, killing all 7 crew members on board including one High-School
teacher. This was the worst accident in the history of the U.S. Space
Program. It was witnessed by thousands of spectators and visitors who
watched at the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded before their eyes.

Among the crew killed were: Francis R. Scobee, Commander; Michael J.

Smith, Pilot; Judith A. Resnick, Electrical Engineer; Ellison S. Onizuka,
Engineer; Ronald E. McNair, Physicist; Gregory R. Jarvis, Electrical
Engineer; Christa McAuliffe, High-School teacher. For most of the crew, it
was just an ordinary mission with the exception of the school teacher. For
Christa McAuliffe, it was everything out of the ordinary. She was the one
out of many applicants that had the opportunity to ride in the Space
Shuttle to help teach children all over the country about the experiments
she was going to accomplish in space. As the spectators at Kennedy Space
Center watched, everyone was in disbelief including many of the technicians
inside the control room communicating with Francis Scobee, the Commander of
the Shuttle Challenger. This experience is best described through a
passage between Challenger and the Control Room which occurred as this:
“Challenger lifted off…and passed Mach One, the speed of sound, at
19,000 feet. The computers throttled back the three main engines to 65
percent of thrust, anticipating the stress that the engineers call Max-Q,
maximum aerodynamic pressure.

‘Okay, we’re throttling down,’ Scobee reassured his crew as the thrust
dropped.

For fourteen seconds they swayed and jolted silently in their seats
while the shuttle chopped through wind shear.

‘Throttling up’, Scobee called, watching the bright lines of his
flight data screen.

‘Throttle up’, Smith confirmed from his own instruments
‘Roger’, Dick Scobee formally acknowledged.

‘Feel that mother go’, Smith called, noting the violent surge of
power. As the Challenger climbed, its computers processed millions of bits
of data, sifting, sorting, and sending it down to the Cape where it was
instantly re- transmitted to the Mission Control Room at Johnson Space
Center in Texas. Inside the control room, the technicians saw that the
Challenger’s engines had returned normally to full thrust, and that the
ascent was proceeding perfectly. CAPCOM Richard Covey hunched at his
console, his face tight with concentration. ‘Challenger”,… “go at
throttle up.”
On Challenger’s noisy flight deck, Commander Scobee punched his
transmit button and replied, ‘Roger, go at throttle up.’
It was exactly seventy seconds after lift-off. The Shuttle was near
50,000 feet…but in the next three seconds Challenger slammed through
increasingly violent maneuvers. Mike Smith voiced sudden apprehension.

‘Uh-oh.’
In Mission Control, the pulsing digits on the screens abruptly
stopped. At the top of each console screen, a frozen while “S” was now
centered. Static, no down-link. Challenger was dead.

Mission Control spokesman Steve Nesbit sat…he stared around the
silent, softly lit room. The red trajectory line was stationary on the
display screen. Finally, he spoke: ‘Flight controllers here are looking
very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction.” (Excerpts
from Challenger, a Major Malfunction, McConnell, Introduction.)
This was one of the more moving at sensitive words spoken at the time
which showed the disbelief many had and how such a mistake could have been
made.

The deaths of the astronauts lie in the memories of many, including
students across the country and the world. Christa McAuliffe’s parents
called them all “heroes” and that they have grief and condolences for all
people effected everywhere by the tragedy. McAuliffe’s parents were
thankful that their lives were kept private during this hard time, and they
said that even with this terrible disaster, life must go on.

Across the seas, there was also feelings of sorrow and disbelief.

Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on January 30th, 1986 at the Vatican he
talked and comforted the people about the loss of the American astronauts.

He talked to the people, and made this lasting preach: “I lift up to God a
fervent prayer so that he accepts in his embrace the souls of these
courageous pioneers in progress of science and of man.” (The New York
Times, Jan. 30th, 1986; A16)
Along with the Pope, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi sent his “personal
condolences” to the families and friends of the American astronauts. “It
is a very sad day, not only for all Americans, but for all humanity.” (NY
Times, Jan. 30th, 1986; A16).

Mikhail S. Gorbachev also sent condolences over to the United States
for the death of the seven astronauts. From quotes from the Soviet people,
they had high expectations of American technology and were devastated that
such a tragedy could occur. Showing support, they have not lost faith,
claims a citizen in Russia.

For Americans especially, it was a sad and mournful day. Many
Americans were thankful of the warm and thoughtful condolences that many of
the foreign nations of the world sent to the United States for support.

Among the most surprised commentator, was Muammar Quadaffi due to the
feelings of unrest that the United States had toward Libya and vice versa.

Overall, Americans were pleased and thankful of the support they received
across the world to deal with the deaths.

Many people were especially hopeful about the health statistics of the
astronauts. They hoped that the crew could have survived the 10 mile
decent into the ocean at speeds of over 400 mph. This could have been a
possibility at first, since technicians believed that since the explosion
occurred in the rear of the shuttle, the cabin might still be in tact, yet
the astronauts would probably be unconscious. However, this was not the
case. NASA officials speculate that either the astronauts died in the
shuttle in the air, or they were unconscious and died from impact into the
water or drowning. The body remains were later airlifted to Houston where
they received a proper burial.

After peoples’ feeling had calmed to a certain degree, NASA and the
United States Government began the tedious task of trying to find out what
exactly caused the explosion. At first thoughts, NASA workers believed
that there was a hydrogen gas leak from the huge external fuel tank which
carried 350,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and more than 140,000 gallons of
liquid hydrogen which could have acted as a “small” hydrogen bomb. After
weeks and months of investigations, it was found that along with a slight
hydrogen gas leak, the main cause of the explosion was the O- ring which
was vital to the Space Shuttles. When the O-ring failed, it seals in the
sub-zero temperatures to which the Shuttles stack was exposed to. (Shuttle
Challenger, 50.) Accompanying the temperatures, the hydrogen mixed with
that causing the explosion which killed all 7 crew member aboard.

Contrary to what people had originally thought, there were no human
errors to be found in the transcripts. According to the transmission
between Commander Scobbe and the Houston and Kennedy Space Center
technicians, everything was fine in terms of communications, and the “…go
with throttle up” (as described in the transcript of the communications)
was a “normal” adjustment that would occur on any other shuttle at any
other given time. When the “…go with throttle up” commenced, the
pressure for the O-ring was to great, letting the hydrogen leak out, thus
causing the explosion.

The weather conditions might also have been a factor. There was a cold
front coming into the area which did make the air temperature very cold for
Florida weather. There were actually icicles hanging from the launch pad
at Kennedy Space Center. This was another of the contributing factors. If
there is cold enough temperatures to have ice, then the shuttle should not
have been launched for two main reasons. First, that a shuttle has never
before been launched in such cold temperatures and second, that some parts,
such as the faulty O-ring would not stand the pressure of the coldness.

At first, after the Challenger exploded, either everyone was blaming
everyone else, or no one knew who to point the finger at. The only people
to turn to were the makers of the Shuttles.

Rockwell Corporation was one of the companies involved in the building
of the Space Shuttles. This organization was in charge of building the
major shuttle parts including the fuselage, and the pay-load doors. This
corporation earned about $3 for building the four shuttles operating at the
time; Columbia, Challenger, Discovery and Atlantis.

Martin Marietta Corporation was another company involved in the
building of the shuttles. They build the huge external fuel tank which was
part of the cause of the disaster of the Challenger.

Morton Thiokol Inc. was the nation’s leading supplier for the
solid-fuel rocket boosters. Even though the sold- fule rocket booster were
not believed to be a cause of the disaster, they were still questioned and
reported about back to NASA.

Lockheed was not of major concern to NASA for evidence of the disaster
because Lockheed was basically responsible for the maintenance of the
shuttle such as cleaning, maintaining, and testing the shuttles before
every launch. Their tests were checked for structural damage of parts of
the shuttle, but they were later dismissed.

Grumman corporation, like Lockheed was also somewhat dismissed of any
fault in the explosion due to the parts that they specialize in. Grumman
only builds the wings for the shuttles which were of no concern in the
disaster since they were working up to order.

Among other companies dismissed of any wrong-doings in building parts
or supervision were General Dynmaics, Boeing, and McDonnel Douglass
Corporation.

The Future of NASA was the main question that was discussed after the
disaster. After the Challenger disaster, there were no more shuttle
flights of any kind for over eighteen months. NASA wanted to “re-group”
and re-design some parts that they think would have tremendous improvements
to the entire shuttle fleet. Some of the parts that were re- designed were
parts of the Main External Tank, the Solid Rocket Boosters, and the O-ring.

The major disadvantage that the Space Shuttle Challenger had, along with
the Columbia, was that since they were the first two shuttles produced,
they had 1970’s technology designing. Thus, improvements could have, and
needed to be made.

The next question on NASA’s mind was that should their be another
budget for a new shuttle. Among the remaining shuttles (from oldest to
newest) were: Enterprise (a test- shuttle only, has never been in orbit.),
Columbia (still operational), Challenger (destroyed), Discovery, (still
operational), and Atlantis (still operational). These three main shuttles
could serve NASA through the 1990’s, but after that would be too difficult.

The primary objective of NASA in the early 1970’s was to have a space
station (which is still the idea) called Freedom in the year 2020. The
shuttles would not be able to last that long by only having three working
ones. So, NASA asked Congress for funds to build a forth working shuttle.

Congress leaders supported the idea of building a new shuttle, but they
believed that budget restrictions might hinder the effort. Representative
Edward P. Boland of Massachussetts (D) stated that “…I would have a forth
orbiter…I don’t think NASA can meet its requirements for the space
flights without it.” (NY Times, Jan. 30th, 1986; A16). A new space
vehicle would cost about $2 billion dollars. (NOTE: At this time during
1986, no immediate funding was given to NASA for a fourth shuttle. However,
in 1989, a new shuttle was being built called the Endeavour, which would be
America’s best and last shuttle. Best, because it has better technology
than the other shuttles. Last, because the four shuttles are designed for
one-hundred missions each, and they would all last until the year 2020 when
the Space Station Freedom is to be built.)
Eighteen months after the Challenger Disaster, the Space Shuttle
Columbia lifted off perfectly without a glitch. This helped to cure many
feelings that some Americans had about other possible problems that might
cause another explosion to occur. If another disaster had occurred, then
manned shuttle flights would have been abolished, and only un-maned rockets
would be sent into Space. This would limit NASA’s capabilities and
virtually ruin the dream of the Space Station because with manned
space-craft, many arduous tasks could be accomplished in space such as the
space station and the fixing of satellites, which could not be done by
mechanical means. People also did not want to have the Soviet Union nor
Japan excel in their quest for Space Exploration, so they wanted to have
high hopes for the American technology.

After the Challenger disaster, there were many books, thesis’s,
tributes to the crew of Challenger, and tributes to McAullife, written for
the astronauts which are still remembered over six years later. The name
Challenger is also retired, so that no other ship in the future of NASA
will have any similarities to Challenger.

My opinion is special to my own. At the time of the disaster, I was
in 5th grade and I had just come home when I saw on the news…”This is a
Special Report…Peter Jennings reporting.” I was often amazed and excited
about what they were going to say when my favorite television shows were
interrupted, or likewise when they had a “real” broadcast of the Emergency
Broadcast System; that annoying beep. Still, that day I was neither amazed
nor excited, just for a 5th grader, confused. I felt sorrow and sadness
for all of the astronauts, yet pride for them since they all had risked
their lives for the benefit of the American people.

At the time of the disaster, I felt that NASA and the entire United
States space program was set back years. However, the past few years have
been positive ones with the successful launching of over two dozen
shuttles. And, the other day of this week, the newest shuttle just
completed, Endeavour, had launched successfully into space, and, while in
space, performing what it set out to do; fix and attach rockets to a
satellite (called Instelat) hat was orbiting too low in the Earth’s for it
to function properly. On the last attempt to retrieve it, the three
Astronaut space-walkers attached it to the cargo bay of the shuttle and set
it off to a higher orbit. With these many accomplishments that NASA and
the United States Government has made in the last 3 years, I believe that
the Space Program is back on track better than it was before the accident
due to the vast knowledge we have now of “learning from our mistakes.”
Now, it can be told true, that we can explore Space, the Final Frontier, to
where ever its limits may be.