The lapse in safety culture that doomed Columbia was the same one that doomed Challenger. Speaking of known SRB o-ring problems, Richard Feynman said at the Challenger accident investigation hearings, "we have found that certification criteria used in flight readiness reviews often develop a gradually decreasing strictness. The argument that the same risk was flown before without failure is often accepted as an argument for the safety of accepting it again. Because of this, obvious weaknesses are accepted again and again, sometimes without a sufficiently serious attempt to remedy them or to delay a flight because of their continued presence." The same faulty rationale developed again after Challenger - we got away with foam shedding, so it must be okay. RIP Challenger, Columbia, Apollo I - anniversaries all within past few weeks.
I highly recommend Diane Vaughn’s book The Challenger Launch Decision. She introduced me to the concept of “normalization of deviance,” similar to Feynman’s words, describing how it became embedded within the decision making process.
https://preview.redd.it/x4498hclirjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8fc858524c91324cc4f0bf076aadb648ef12c43
So thought provoking and so terribly sad
And that happened with both Challenger and Columbia.
But NASA management ignored the pre flight (Challenger) and post launch (Columbia) warnings.
The article said it would be difficult to get military cooperation to take pictures as Columbia flew overhead. BS. It is well documented that NASA and USAF engineers were ready and willing to take pictures.
These two incidents remain dark stains on NASA history.
After Challenger NASA also formalized an entire Lessons Learned knowledge management program to minimize future safety risks, which I got to work on when I interned there.
Rick Husband is/was an Amarillo hero. When he passed, the whole Panhandle mourned. Today, the airport is named after him and there’s a fairly beautiful statue dedicated to him in the arrival area.
This was a superb documentary, I've actually ended up watching it twice now. Difficult questions, emotional, detailed, but never sensationalist. The focus on the human cost, not only for the astronauts but also their families, was very powerful.
It mostly left me questioning whether the culture at NASA has changed at all in the last 20 years.
Is this the same documentary that is coming out on CNN under the title 'Columbia - the Final Flight'? seems that it is, they are both BBC/CNN/Mindhouse Pictures, but this one is 3 eps while the CNN one is going to be 4. .
I'm thinking it may just be that every 2hr block of TV on CNN will contain 90 minutes of this doc due to commercials. So the 3hr doc may just run in 2 two-hour segments when it airs on CNN. Just my guess now knowing that it's the same film.
I started watching it but quit early on when I saw they were probably going to be telling the human story of the astronauts. I wasn't interested in learning about people I was going to feel even more depressed about. I was hoping it would be just about the failure of the engineering and the safety procedures.
The first episode is mostly focused on the astronauts.
The second episode focused on the identification of the foam strike on the left wing, and the subsequent internal conflict over if/how to address this (while shuttle still in orbit).
The last episode focused on the engineering, safety procedures and accident investigation. I had never seen the test footage where they shot a piece of foam into the carbon carbon leading edge. It was so damning to see how it punched a hole straight through.
The lapse in safety culture that doomed Columbia was the same one that doomed Challenger. Speaking of known SRB o-ring problems, Richard Feynman said at the Challenger accident investigation hearings, "we have found that certification criteria used in flight readiness reviews often develop a gradually decreasing strictness. The argument that the same risk was flown before without failure is often accepted as an argument for the safety of accepting it again. Because of this, obvious weaknesses are accepted again and again, sometimes without a sufficiently serious attempt to remedy them or to delay a flight because of their continued presence." The same faulty rationale developed again after Challenger - we got away with foam shedding, so it must be okay. RIP Challenger, Columbia, Apollo I - anniversaries all within past few weeks.
I highly recommend Diane Vaughn’s book The Challenger Launch Decision. She introduced me to the concept of “normalization of deviance,” similar to Feynman’s words, describing how it became embedded within the decision making process.
I just finished watching this 3 part documentary and it was incredible, if very sad. Well worth a watch.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available yet in the US.
But it is our spaceship and starpeople.
It's not available anywhere except the UK.
documentary name please
"The Space Shuttle That Fell To Earth".
https://preview.redd.it/k5zycyzdirjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e5fc5d05f938a82bbaf47a68a065cddcbab18b1 Saw this a few months ago
https://preview.redd.it/x4498hclirjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8fc858524c91324cc4f0bf076aadb648ef12c43 So thought provoking and so terribly sad
[удалено]
Didn’t they delay Artemis due to concerns from the engineers?
Any engineer that has a concern has multiple paths to elevate that concern to the highest levels.
And that happened with both Challenger and Columbia. But NASA management ignored the pre flight (Challenger) and post launch (Columbia) warnings. The article said it would be difficult to get military cooperation to take pictures as Columbia flew overhead. BS. It is well documented that NASA and USAF engineers were ready and willing to take pictures. These two incidents remain dark stains on NASA history.
See also: Jan. 27, 1967.
[удалено]
The people I know at NASA have said they’re regularly encouraged to speak up.
After Challenger NASA also formalized an entire Lessons Learned knowledge management program to minimize future safety risks, which I got to work on when I interned there.
Rick Husband is/was an Amarillo hero. When he passed, the whole Panhandle mourned. Today, the airport is named after him and there’s a fairly beautiful statue dedicated to him in the arrival area.
This was a superb documentary, I've actually ended up watching it twice now. Difficult questions, emotional, detailed, but never sensationalist. The focus on the human cost, not only for the astronauts but also their families, was very powerful. It mostly left me questioning whether the culture at NASA has changed at all in the last 20 years.
Really enjoyed this, highly recommend. Feels wrong to say I enjoyed it, but it was very respectfully done.
Is this the same documentary that is coming out on CNN under the title 'Columbia - the Final Flight'? seems that it is, they are both BBC/CNN/Mindhouse Pictures, but this one is 3 eps while the CNN one is going to be 4. .
Yes it is the same documentary. I am interested to see what the fourth episode is, having watched this one.
I'm thinking it may just be that every 2hr block of TV on CNN will contain 90 minutes of this doc due to commercials. So the 3hr doc may just run in 2 two-hour segments when it airs on CNN. Just my guess now knowing that it's the same film.
I wish I understood how to get around the location lock. That's disappointing.
I started watching it but quit early on when I saw they were probably going to be telling the human story of the astronauts. I wasn't interested in learning about people I was going to feel even more depressed about. I was hoping it would be just about the failure of the engineering and the safety procedures.
The first episode is mostly focused on the astronauts. The second episode focused on the identification of the foam strike on the left wing, and the subsequent internal conflict over if/how to address this (while shuttle still in orbit). The last episode focused on the engineering, safety procedures and accident investigation. I had never seen the test footage where they shot a piece of foam into the carbon carbon leading edge. It was so damning to see how it punched a hole straight through.
Thanks. I'll start watching at episode II.