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The Story of the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster, with Adam Higginbotham

Intelligence Squared

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Lessons from the Challenger Disaster

This chapter analyzes the technical failures and systemic issues that led to the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, particularly focusing on the erosion of the O-rings in the solid rocket boosters. It discusses how a culture of complacency and normalization of deviance allowed critical risk factors to be downplayed and ultimately resulted in catastrophic failure. Additionally, the chapter emphasizes the importance of personal narratives from crew members and engineers, as well as the broader implications on public perception and safety in space exploration.

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