‘The Challenger Disaster’ (US Title. UK Title: ‘The Challenger’ As Shown In The Above Image)

‘The Challenger Disaster’ (US title. UK title: ‘The Challenger’ as shown in the above image) is a BBC/Science Channel original film about the investigation into the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger explosion amidst an attempted flight on January 28, 1986 which claimed the lives of seven astronauts: Commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Judith A. Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka and Ronald E. McNair; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and Sharon Christa McAuliffe.

I don’t want to do a disservice to the film or the processes responsible for the disaster by muddying up the details, so here’s a brief overview of the problem (via Wiki) which enabled the gradual disintegration and explosion of the shuttle:

Disintegration of the vehicle began after an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster (SRB) failed at liftoff. The O-ring failure caused a breach in the SRB joint it sealed, allowing pressurized hot gas from within the solid rocket motor to reach the outside and impinge upon the adjacent SRB attachment hardware and external fuel tank. This led to the separation of the right-hand SRB’s aft attachment and the structural failure of the external tank. Aerodynamic forces broke up the orbiter. image sources

A meticulous and intensive investigation was brought forth by the Presidential Commission, led by William Rogers, Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, and Chuck Yeager. The investigation revealed multiple flaws which led to the accident, involving: design flaws, mismanagement, poor communication between NASA and its contractors, inadequate safety procedures, and most notably - to which this film highlights - the “go ahead” approval on launch day under inadequate weather conditions that directly compromised the SRB O-ring joint seals.

Physicist Richard Feynman (above) was brought aboard the investigation as an outside consultant whom would be able to participate strictly as a scientist, free from bias or bureaucratic influence.

His overall assessment of the accident was thorough, honest, and explicitly raw science. Commissioners on the investigative board criticized Feynman’s report and threatened to throw it out, claiming it could be “too damaging to NASA.” Feynman, discouraged and furious, retorted with a threat of his own: that he wouldn’t sign off on the final report as a matter of conscience. The commissioners backed down and decided to include an appendix to the report which would include Feynman’s details, but suggested a more “toned-down version” be printed.

William Hurt, Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Jennings, Brian Dennehy and Eve Best in ’The Challenger Disaster’

Professor Feynman’s report ended with these prophetic words which still loom over NASA and in my opinion, all of science, today:

“NASA owes it to the citizens from whom it asks support to be frank, honest, and informative, so that these citizens can make the wisest decisions for the use of their limited resources. For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.”

Watch the news report and interview with Feynman on the Challenger investigation and view the trailer for the film ’The Challenger Disaster.’