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Intelligence Squared
The Story of the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster, with Adam Higginbotham
Jun 9, 2024
44:03
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Adam Higginbotham, author of 'Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space', discusses the Challenger disaster's unfolding and its legacy on space exploration. The conversation with Carl Miller explores the tragic events of 1986, the US space program evolution post-Apollo, and the role of O-rings in the disaster. The analysis delves into the failures that led to the catastrophic outcome, highlighting the normalization of deviance and the impact on decision-making processes.
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Quick takeaways
- NASA shifted from Mars exploration to the Space Shuttle due to budget constraints.
- Challenger disaster revealed flawed decision-making, risking astronaut safety and highlighting systemic failures.
Deep dives
The Evolution of NASA's Space Exploration Goals
NASA's space program transitioned from the ambitious Apollo missions to the more pragmatic Space Shuttle program due to economic constraints and public interest decline post the Moon landing success. Originally envisioning Mars exploration, NASA had to scale back its ambitions, leading to the development of the Space Shuttle as the sole surviving element of the initial grand plan.
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