Roger Boisjoly and the Challenger Disaster

1
Roger Boisjoly and the Challenger Disaster

• Ethical lacking at NASA
• Jeremy Neill
• March 2, 2000

2
Outline

• Background of Challenger
• Background of Roger Boisjoly
• Events from 1977 1/28/86
• Different ethical choices
• Events after the disaster

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History of Challenger

• Second shuttle built
• Designed for testing only
• Later converted for actual missions
• Nine successful launches
• First (and last) mission in Teacher In Space
  Program

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Roger Boisjoly

• 25 years of experience before Challenger
• Joined Morton Thiokols Solid Rocket Booster
  program in 1985
• Assigned as a Technical Troubleshooter
• Member of various engineering and ethics societies

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First signs of trouble

• 1977 Morton Thiokol first discovers joint
  rotation problem
• Nov 1981 O-ring erosion discovered after second
  shuttle launch
• Jan 1985 Worst case of O-ring erosion yet, on
  coldest launch yet

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Boisjolys role

• Analyzed O-ring erosion on Jan 1985 flight
• Presented findings to superiors and Marshall
  Space Flight Center
• Presented findings to Flight Readiness Review
  Board for subsequent flight
• Originally indicated erosion and blow by caused
  by low temperatures, but NASA asked for a
  softened position for Board

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Additional concerns

• Analysis of April 1985 flight shows primary
  O-ring never sealed
• Additional tests indicate a launch of 50 degrees
  or lower could result in failure
• NASA asks Morton-Thiokol for booster seal problem
  presentation
• Boisjoly presents similar info to SAE to get
  help. NASA orders it tuned down

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Pre-flight Teleconference

• Meeting with KSC/MSFC on Jan 27
• Engineering team indicates launches below 53
  degrees may have O-ring failure. Prove it.
• Managers ask for offline discussion. Take off
  your engineering hat. Decide to launch anyway,
  temp predicted 18, actually hit 8
• NASA asks for further comments. Engineers stay
  silent

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Day of launch

• Right O-ring at 28 degrees, ice on shuttle
• Puffs of smoke at launch pad
• Good luck Blow-by causes oxidation glaze to fill
  gaps in O-ring seal
• Bad luck Worst wind sheer hits shuttle. Flex
  breaks glaze apart
• Flames escape SRB and hit External Tank

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Ethical Implications

• Supervisors clearly ignored problems
• NASA downplayed problem 9 years
• Could Boisjoly have done more?
• Spoken up at end of teleconference?
• Separately notified upper NASA management?
• Leaked issue to press?
• Still has to keep his job.

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Events since launch

• O-ring design revised
• Launch decision now made by astronaut
• Boisjoly won Prize for Scientific Freedom and
  Responsibility from AAAS
• Teachers In Space Program canceled

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Sources of more information

• http//www.onlineethics.org/moral/boisjoly/RB-intr
  o.html
• http//www.fas.org/spp/51L.html
• http//www.uoguelph.ca/mgravell/
• http//ethics.tamu.edu/ethics/ethics/shuttle/shutt
  le1.htm
• http//www.bowdoin.edu/dept/physics/astro.1998/ast
  ro15/
• http//www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters
  /challenger.html
• http//catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/5.78.html

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Summary

• NASA knew about O-ring issue
• Boisjoly repeatedly urged the issue
• Management ignored the advice of professional
  engineers
• Space program set back several years
• Some good changes at NASA resulted