American Scandal Challenger Disaster | What Really Happened | 4
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Jan 7, 2025 The podcast dives deep into the chilling aftermath of the Challenger disaster. Engineers face their guilt over ignored warnings about O-ring flaws. Richard Feynman’s daring demonstration highlights the critical design failures. Tension mounts during the Rogers Commission hearings as corporate shortsightedness and safety concerns clash. Heartfelt testimonies reveal the emotional toll on colleagues, while the brave recovery efforts uncover shocking truths about the astronauts' final moments. The tragedy sparks crucial changes in safety protocols and haunting questions about the future of manned space flight.
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McDonald's Observation
- Al McDonald, a Morton Thiokol engineer, witnessed the Challenger explosion and entered the investigation war room.
- He observed puffs of gray smoke from the right booster in high-resolution footage, suggesting O-ring failure before liftoff.
Cook Leaks Memo
- Richard Cook, a NASA budget analyst, knew about the O-ring issues and wrote a memo to his superiors.
- He leaked the memo to the New York Times under a pseudonym after witnessing NASA's attempts to cover up the issue.
McDonald's Testimony
- Al McDonald, during a closed-door hearing, revealed that Thiokol engineers advised against the launch due to cold weather.
- He exposed NASA's pressure on Thiokol to overrule their engineers, contradicting previous testimonies.
