EMGT 506 Challenger Case Study Question 2 Group B

Team B Alex Ephraim Eric Jesse Pablo Raghava

 What were the similarities and differences between Challenger and Columbia? –Include technical and systemic issues Question 1.6

 Damage to surface of "vehicle" caused disaster.  Processes were in place to identify damage before or while it incurred. Cameras captured the foam falling off Columbia & measurements captured the degradation and previous failures of O- rings on Challenger. Technical Similarities

 The Solid Rocket Boosters which caused the Challenger accident and the External Tank which caused the Columbia accident were both the responsibility of NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville Alabama. Technical Similarities

 Opinions or warnings of danger, offered by engineers and other technical staff, were not acted upon by management.  Damage seen or presumed was deemed inconsequential to safety of vehicle or crew. A false sense of security prevailed.  Tight budgets contributed to both disasters, though this cause was more significant for the Challenger than the Columbia. Systemic Similarities

 Damage to Columbia wasn't inspected by satellite or space-walk inspection while O-rings were known to be degraded on Challenger.  Challenger involved damage to SRB while Columbia was to Shuttle.  Technical problems for Challenger more were more severe than for the Columbia. Technical Differences

 Columbia did not have any opposition to launch due to safety concerns.  Budget constraints were a more direct cause of the Challenger disaster than in the Columbia disaster where a tight timeline and a tolerance for unsafe conditions were more influential attitudes. Systemic Differences