The fatal flaw in flight 51–1: Events leading up to the ill-fated challenger launch proved more of a surprise than the disaster itself for what they revealed of NASA's inability to correct obvious design errors

Abstract

The history of the flawed joint that caused the NASA Challenger space shuttle disaster is examined, showing the sequence of events that led to its development and certification. Then the Challenger launch itself is described, and a number of questions are raised. The lessons to be learned from the accident are discussed.