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Lest we forget this is the anniversary of the Challenger disaster. This video remembers the US astronauts lost on Apollo 2, Challenger and Colombia
All were lost to hubris and a lack of testing.
Apollo 1 because engineers never tested the fire safety of using a pure oxygen atmosphere in a spacecraft full of electronics and flammable materials. They just assumed it was OK.
Challenger because even though the SRB O-rings had never been tested at 0°F temperatures and contractors warned against it, NASA engineers just assumed they'd be OK and launched.
Making matters worse is that the shuttle has no launch escape system, even though one had been suggested that would separate the cabin and parachute it down. The Challenger explosion separated the cabin anyhow, and the crew survived - right up until they impacted the Atlantic at 200 mph. No parachute - including one was deemed to heavy, reducing the payload.
Columbia because even though tank foam shedding was a known problem NASA engineers never tested what would happen to the wings leading edge heat shield if it took a direct hit. It shatters. This, combined with the get-go bad design of side-saddle mounting of a spacecraft in the first place, sealed the shuttles fate.
New spacecraft will have to meet much stricter MASA standards published last month. These will apply to Dragon, CST-100, Dream Chaser, Orion, Orbital CCV and all other US spacecraft going on NASA missions.
All were lost to hubris and a lack of testing.
Apollo 1 because engineers never tested the fire safety of using a pure oxygen atmosphere in a spacecraft full of electronics and flammable materials. They just assumed it was OK.
Challenger because even though the SRB O-rings had never been tested at 0°F temperatures and contractors warned against it, NASA engineers just assumed they'd be OK and launched.
Making matters worse is that the shuttle has no launch escape system, even though one had been suggested that would separate the cabin and parachute it down. The Challenger explosion separated the cabin anyhow, and the crew survived - right up until they impacted the Atlantic at 200 mph. No parachute - including one was deemed to heavy, reducing the payload.
Columbia because even though tank foam shedding was a known problem NASA engineers never tested what would happen to the wings leading edge heat shield if it took a direct hit. It shatters. This, combined with the get-go bad design of side-saddle mounting of a spacecraft in the first place, sealed the shuttles fate.
New spacecraft will have to meet much stricter MASA standards published last month. These will apply to Dragon, CST-100, Dream Chaser, Orion, Orbital CCV and all other US spacecraft going on NASA missions.