Challenger Engineer Who Warned Of Shuttle Disaster Dies

[Festivito]

1. Florida had an unusual freeze that night. O-rings nosedive in strength after freezing.

I designed a program that tested tensile strength of rubber and I did a special program for O-rings. Nothing really. Just to get user input, start the pull, computer monitor the pull while the clamps holding the rubber moved up, detecting a break and resetting the machine. Then calculating the cross area using the o-ring diameter or thickness of die cut rubber.

One of the lab guys who tested o-rings told me about the freezing problem he had noticed.

That rocket was outside on the launch pad that night. Must have been delays that day so they gave up for the night. That freeze should have scrubbed the launch so new o-rings could go in. That would cost a small fortune.

They probably wanted to save money. Just like our Republican governor of Michigan who wanted save money on water treatment for Flint, Michigan and ends up with 10 dead, 80 sick, and I do not know how many kids looking at a lifetime of reduced abilities. That day ended with dead astronauts, a nation sick to its stomach and kids around the world with reduced hopes of a future in space.

Reagan had reasons other than money for not wanting that launch scrubbed. Whatever that was won't be released, nor will any his involvement in that decision.

Please, never, ever, ever vote for right wing buffoons.