...Conclusion………………………………………………. 9 Bibliography…………………………………………….. 10 Executive Summary This Report attempts to unfold the management flaws and terrible decision making that marked the morning of the 28th of January 1986 as a terribly tragic disaster. What it sadder is that this disaster was mainly due to inhumane practices conducted by the NASA and the management bodies of companies associated with this project than natural reasons. The whistleblowing led to the loss of billions of dollars and more importantly loss of 7 innocent lives. The space shuttle was propelled by the two attached Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and an external fuel tank. The SRBs were joined to the External Tank. aOnce the SRBs ignited, hot gases heated the rubber O rings and they eroded to seal the joints. SRB joint design had a serious flaw in it and the engineers knew it meant a catastrophe and yet they passed the design for flight. The O rings worked only down to a temperature limit of 12 ̊ C, but the morning of the launch saw temperatures as low as -1 ̊ C which was much lower than the prescribed limit. Many engineers voiced to postpone the launch and wait for the weather to be stable but the management turned down these arguments and the challenger was cleared to launch at 11:38 A.M. As the shuttle took off, the right SRB emitted puffs of smoke which meant that a gap was punched into the SRB and hot gases were escaping it. The O ring was supposed to seal the gap off but it was frozen so it failed and the secondary O...
Words: 2491 - Pages: 10
...The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster was a preventable disaster that NASA tried to cover up by calling it a mysterious accident. However, two men had the courage to bring the real true story to the eyes of the public and it is to Richard Cook and Roger Boisjoly to whom we are thankful. Many lessons can be learned from this disaster to help prevent further disasters and to improve on organizations ethics. One of the many key topics behind the Challenger disaster is the organizational culture. One of the aspects of an organizational culture is the observable culture of an organization that is what one sees and hears when walking around an organization. There are four parts to the observable culture, stories, heroes, rites and rituals and symbols. The first one is stories, which is tales told among an organization’s members. In the Challenger Space Shuttle incident there were mainly four organizations thrown together to form one, Morton Thiokol, Marshall Space Flight Center, Johnson Space Center and NASA Headquarters. All of these organizations had the same type of stories to be told. At Morton Thiokol, they talked about their product and their big deal, which they received from NASA. At NASA, it’s members retold stories of the previous space missions and being the first people to have landed on the moon. Second are their heroes. At Morton Thiokol, their heroes might have been the founders of the organization or it’s top executives like Charles Locke or Jerry Mason. At NASA, their...
Words: 2909 - Pages: 12
...of Mexico Restoration” website uses three strategies to try to repair its reputation: to show the public that BP is trying to help to develop a better community in the Gulf states, the company’s website uses a video clip that shows the company’s sponsorship of the Challenger Learning Center which helps educate local children; to show the public that BP is an ethical company and is ready to compensate the damages people and businesses suffered because of the oil spill, the website offers the affected individuals claim forms to report damages; to show the public that BP’s effort to restore the environment is successful, the website uses colorful photographs of people involved in the restoration processes. To show that BP is trying to develop communities in the Gulf States, the company’s website uses a video clip that shows how BP is sponsoring the Challenger Learning Center, an attempt to bolster education in the Gulf Coast. Under the title “Community development in the Gulf states” there is a two minute and twenty second long video of Challenger Learning Center, its director, professors, and students. The video clip highlights how BP is giving a chance to low-income families to send their children to the Challenger Learning Center that specializes in...
Words: 1169 - Pages: 5
...pressure creates a blowhole in the putty, allowing the O-rings to move into the positions needed to seal the joint as the gap between tang and clevis expands. Through the blowhole, gases penetrate and wear away the O-rings.” As seen in the diagram the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) has two O-rings, working in series. This means that when the primary O-Ring fails the Secondary O-ring will protect the system from the outside, increasing the reliability of the system. Or at least that was the intent of the design; which worked during testing. The main problem was that all testing was conducted at warmer temperatures between 65 – 80°F and the launch day was about 50 degrees colder than the temperature during testing. In preparation to the Challenger mission testing on the SRB system was performed and it was noted during testing that the O-rings eroded to an extent. It was also noted that the erosion was not to the point of failure, therefore NASA decided the risk was minimal. The problem with this approach was that the erosion noted during test was, as stated above, at temperatures higher that launch the ambient temperature. Temperatures as the one experienced at launch caused the O-rings to contract further compromising their sealing value. With a good Risk Board NASA might have studied the O-Ring failure mode and extrapolate the behavior of the O-Rings at the ambient temperature of the launch. The...
Words: 1351 - Pages: 6
...DeVry University Keller Graduate School of Management Pomona, California The Challenger- Nasa’s Decision MAking Process By Briana Bass Brianacbass@gmail.com Leadership & Organization Behavior MGMT-591-20623 John Poore 2/19/2015 The Challenger- NASA’s Decision Making Process Introduction: I am researching the decision making process that allowed on space shuttle, called the Challenger to go up into space, but was destroyed upon take off. I will analyze the reasons why NASA allowed this aircraft to take off, and the reason why it should not have. I will also research the aftermath and how this huge error could have been avoided. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was created on October 1, 1958 by the President of the United States and Congress. It was to provide research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth’s atmosphere. The main reason NASA was invented was due to World War 2. The United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a cold ward. During this time, space exploration become the one of the highest priority discussions. This became known as the space race. (American Psychological Association, 2011) The United States launched its first Earth satellite on January 31, 1958. It was called Explorer 1. Then the United States started several missions to the moon and other planets in 1950 and the 1960’s. It had 8,000 employees and an annual budget of $100 million. Nasa rapidly grew. They...
Words: 2518 - Pages: 11
...Introduction Sometimes disasters happen without any of the control of others. These are what is labeled as natural disasters. Others happen under the control of the leadership of those involved. These are what is known as accidents. I will be analyzing the leadership and control of that of the devastating Columbia space shuttle disaster, as it pertains to the lack of leadership and communication of those involved. Relevancy of Leadership Leadership is necessary in all situations. It is especially essential in the case of accidents. The question I have to ask is why did this incident become an accident? What could have been done to prevent this disaster from happening? Was NASA aware of the possibilities of this space shuttles’ vulnerability?...
Words: 623 - Pages: 3
...Picture this, in 10 to 20 years the first human mission to mars is launched and the largest space travel breakthrough since the moon landing is occurring, the catch is no one is able to watch. This magnificent event is shrouded in darkness and censored, for with such an astonishing voyage comes many risks, although the reward for viewing such a feat would be life changing. In Ronald Regan’s famous speech “Challenger” and History.com’s article labeled “Challenger disaster” we learn about the horrendous event that took place in American history, but we also get a frame for just how important this event was and still is to this day. “I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's...
Words: 424 - Pages: 2
...you believe. The speaker wants them to agree with what they are saying. The President of the United States has a huge job when it comes to public speaking. They are addressing a whole country that is looking to them for their opinion, advice, or guidance. Even though not every citizen in the country is going to agree with what the president is saying, it is usually over an important issue, so the president is completely aware that everyone will be listening. On January 28, 1986, while Ronald Reagan was serving as president, the country experienced a huge tragedy when the Challenger space shuttle exploded on live television. It wasn’t really an event that words could describe, but as the president, Reagan had to try. Through the use of ethos and pathos, President Reagan’s speech attempts to persuade America and the viewers of the Challenger explosion that despite the tragedy, the United States and its space program will continue to move forward. President Reagan uses ethos by making sure that the audience knows who he is and what his purpose is. He starts out the very beginning of his speech by letting everyone know his change of plans from speaking about the state of the Union to speaking about the national tragedy. He then goes on to say “Nancy and [he] are pained to the core by the tragedy”. The way that he uses his wife’s first...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...Below is a free essay on "Whistleblowing" from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. Whistleblowing is a highly controversial and widely discussed topic in today’s society due to many high profile cases including the circumstances surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and what was documented in the movie The Insider about the tobacco industry. Ethically, the decision for someone to whistleblow is a tremendous one. The person needs to weigh many factors and take many things into consideration before making that step. This paper will use the movie The Insider, Ethical Theory and Business and material collected from the internet to (1) discuss definitions and conditions of whistleblowing; what motivates whistleblowers; ethical and other considerations including risks and typical results of whistleblowing cases. Definitions and conditions of whistleblowing “A whistleblower is an individual that believes that his or her organization is engaged in or willingly permits unethical, unlawful or otherwise reprehensible activities. Whistleblowers bring attention to the objectionable activity and attempt to effect change. Whistleblowers generally report these actions internally and may ultimately resort to reporting these activities to external authorities or interested parties.” (http:cosign.scu. edu505set01003WhistleblowerProfile.htm) In the essay “Whistleblowing and Professional Responsibility” published in Ethical Theory and...
Words: 633 - Pages: 3
...see frontmatter doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2004.01.002 Lessons in Organizational Ethics from the Columbia Disaster: Can a Culture be Lethal? RICHARD O. MASON ‘‘Houston We Have a Problem.’’ A Message Never Sent or Received. On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia, on its way to its landing site in Florida, blew apart in the skies of East Texas. Its seven-member crew perished. The $2 billion ship was lost; some destruction occurred on the ground, and considerable cost was incurred to recover debris scattered over several states. The disaster sounded an eerie echo from the past. Seventeen years earlier the shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight due to an O-ring malfunction. All seven crewmembers were also lost. And, about 11 years before that, the cabin of Apollo 1 burst into flames on its pad. Three crewmembers were killed. Within a day, as NASA policy requires, an internal investigation team of six ex officio members was formed. Harold Gehman Jr., a retired admiral who was NATO supreme allied commander in Europe, was appointed to chair it. A veteran of several military investigations, including the bombing of the U.S. Cole, Gehman, in an initially unpopular move, broadened the inquiry to include the agency’s organization, history and culture. Sean O’Keefe, NASA’s administrator, was incensed that the investigation would reach beyond the confines of the shuttle project alone, and his relations with Gehman became strained and stiff. Based on his experience, however...
Words: 8824 - Pages: 36
...October 14, 2015 OSCM 3322 Midterm Challenger Disaster On the morning launch of the challenger on January 28th, 1986, at approximately 9:41am an unexpected event happened. The shuttle, within 75 seconds of taking off, exploded in the air. Citizens and NASA staff were shocked and confused as to what they had just seen, but there was a small group knew this type of problem could occur. They had little evidence but still chose to launch that day, now worrying about the events that will transpire thereon. Many questions as to why the shuttle had exploded arose such as, “What caused it to malfunction?” “Was there any known facts before the incident?” And if so, “why was there no action taken?” Unfortunately, some of these questions were addressed and brought to a few personnel in top management positions such as managers, vice presidents, supervisors, and engineers. One of the main issues was the failure to communicate the problem of the O-rings in a timely manner. The fact that they waited until the night before the launch to discuss the problems that the seals were causing, was an obvious point leading us to believe that the organization of communication within the chain of command was faulty. Another issue was that Larry Mulloy saw the data that Roger Boisjoly and Arnold Thompson provided, lacked details to support their theories. In all retrospect, they were the ones who had done the research and work that lead them to their conclusions. It was obvious that they knew...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
... from the past generation of the Baby Boomers. In a time where the single most anti-child phase in American history began. In the early 1960's the birth control pill became widely available, and in 1973, abortion was legalized (Coupland 1991). These are two factors that are said to have contributed to the generation small numbers. Compared to Baby Boomer numbers at 76 million and Millennial at 80 million according to Jeff Gordinier in his book, How Generation X Got the Shaft, But Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking (Gordinier 2009). Robert Capa, a photographer for Mangum magazine, was the first person to use the phrase "Generation X". Using it to describe the people who grew up after World War II. Capa used it as the title of a photo essay published in 1953. A decade later, a writer by the name of Jane Deveson for Women Own Magazine. A magazine company established from the United Kingdom back in 1932 did a study on British teenagers that were misbehaving by sleeping around, rejecting religion and disobeying their parent. Upon completing her studies, Deveson brought her...
Words: 1679 - Pages: 7
...Rubina Mahsud Topic 3: Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Business Practices in IM context Companies can no longer ignore social responsibility and ethical behaviors. Many organizations prioritize tangible goals over other factors, especially social responsibility and ethics. However no matter internal or external stakeholders care about how their behaviors effect on society. For the corporations who look for the tangible goal without considering social responsibility and ethics in narrow perspective, they may declare that they want to be efficient and productive, however, their behavior will cause destructive consequences. In Roger Boisjoly and the Challenger Disaster: The Ethical Dimensions, the tragedy caused by the agency who was more concerned with deadline than safety. In order to launch the Challenger on political timing, NASA selectively ignored the safety issues and therefore denied the warnings. “When profitability governs decision-making, the selection of goals and the means chosen to pursue them tends to be myopic1. Reference: 1. Kenneth E. Goodpaster, conscience and corporate culture. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. page 29 2. Michael, Porter(Dec 1, 2006). Strategy and society: the link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility, HBR 3. Williams, S. L. (2011). Engaging values in international business practice. Business Horizons, 54(4), 315-324. 4. Matthews, J. B. (1982). Can a corporation have a conscience? Boston: Graduate...
Words: 271 - Pages: 2
...Phase 5 Individual Project HIST125-1201B-05 American Culture in Transition March 28, 2012 CTU Online Professor David Markwell Introduction I must say that this assignment has come at a perfect time as I found myself surrounded in History as I toured Pearl Harbor this weekend. I have to admit watching video and listening to some of the survivors take on the events brought me to tears. I was fortunate enough to have my mom on this trip and she gave me some more great family history and explained that her sister was on the island when the attack happened and was able to get back to the mainland 10 days later. I could write 10 pages on what we spoke about the past few days. Our class has made me realize that we speak of history every day even in simple conversations about what we did a year ago or when we were children, the events we witness today is our children’s history and it is made every day. This class has opened my eyes to take a closer and awareness at the things that are happening around us today and in the past. Now that the class is about complete I am not sure how anyone may have negative views on history, no matter what had happened in our history it has been done and we must see it for the positive things we can take from our past. The debate on immigration can be seen and actually felt when traveling to different parts of our country and abroad. Listening to some of the fascinating tales on Hawaiian history it was not that long ago Americans and Europeans...
Words: 3091 - Pages: 13
...President Ronald Reagan began his commemorative speech expressing deep sincerity and empathy his reason for the speech. It was a sad occasion, and I remember that day very clearly as I watched the astronauts take off, and then, what started out to be a moment of great excitement quickly turned into a heartbreaking occasion. I could not believe what I had just witnessed. I was speechless and numb. President Reagan’s face said it all. As he spoke, you could see the pain he was experiencing from this great tragedy. His speech was similar to that of a eulogy as he recounted the names of the astronauts one by one as if he knew them like family. President Reagan praised them for their great sacrifice for this country’s quest to explore outer space. Stephen Lucas (2012) stated, “Eulogies, Fourth of July speeches, and dedications are...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
