FACTArchive →
NASA saw the Challenger failure coming years before it happened. ⚠️
FACT
@fact5
Science Gone WrongAug 09, 2026

NASA saw the Challenger failure coming years before it happened. ⚠️

NASA saw the Challenger failure coming years before it happened. ⚠️ . . . On later shuttle flights STS 41-B and STS 51-C, engineers found solid rocket booster O-rings burned by hot gas — a design flaw at cold temperatures. Morton Thiokol engineer Roger Boisjoly begged managers on January 27, 1986 to delay launch as temperatures dropped to 18°F. He was overruled. Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff.

Source
https://www.nasa.gov/history/rogersrep/v1p245.htm
Spot an error? Email hello@thefact5.com with a source — we correct visibly.
KEEP SCROLLING

More strange facts ✦