How could the Challenger disaster have been prevented?
Many months of investigation later, though, it became clear that one phone call could have prevented the accident. It could have been placed that morning to either Jesse Moore, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Flight, or Gene Thomas, the Launch Director.
Were the bodies of the Challenger astronauts recovered?
In March 1986, the remains of the astronauts were found in the debris of the crew cabin. Though all of the important pieces of the shuttle were retrieved by the time NASA closed its Challenger investigation in 1986, most of the spacecraft remained in the Atlantic Ocean.
Did the families of Challenger sue NASA?
After the 1986 Challenger disaster, four families of the seven astronauts killed reached out-of-court settlements with the Justice Department for a total of $7.7 million. The wife of Challenger pilot Michael Smith sued NASA in 1987.
Who is responsible for the Challenger disaster?
| Roger Boisjoly | |
|---|---|
| Died | January 6, 2012 (aged 73) Nephi, Utah, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Lowell |
| Known for | Attempts to prevent the Challenger disaster |
| Awards | AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility (1988) |
What happened to bodies of Challenger crew?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said today that it had recovered remains of each of the seven Challenger astronauts and had finished its operations to retrieve the wreckage of the space shuttle’s crew compartment from the ocean floor.
Did the Challenger crew families get their settlement?
Families of four of the seven crew members killed in the Challenger explosion have settled with the government for total damages exceeding $750,000 for each family, with 60% of the sum to be provided by Morton Thiokol Inc., maker of the solid rocket boosters on the space shuttle, an Administration source said Monday.
Did the families of the Challenger get compensated?
These four spouses and six children shared in cash and annuities that cost $7,735,000. The government paid 40 percent; Thiokol, 60 percent. They had relied on informal advice from the law partner of McAuliffe’s husband, Steven, and they talked only with the government, never directly with the company.
Why did the O-ring fail?
The cause of the disaster was traced to an O-ring, a circular gasket that sealed the right rocket booster. This had failed due to the low temperature (31°F / -0.5°C) at launch time – a risk that several engineers noted, but that NASA management dismissed. Via Wikipedia and NASA.