ENGR-482 Exam 2 Guide With
Complete Solution
People involved in challenger disaster - ANSWER Roger Boisjoly- Enginer at
thiokol
Robert Lund- VP engineer at Thiokol
Jerald Mason- Senior VP at Thiokol who pressured to launch
NASA-Marshall
Rogers commission
decisions of Challenger - ANSWER -Boisjoly voiced concerns anout o-ring
issues
-Thiokol managers responsible for the go/no-go decision initially offered a
no-launch recognition in response to Boisjoly's objections, but reversed this
decision after NASA-marshall administrators reacted negatively
-Despite being told to "put on his management hat" Roger Boisjoly
maintained his view that it was unsafe to launch Challenger in such cold
condition
-Roger Boisjol testified about the questionable process that led up to the
decision to launch Challenger
Technical issues with Challenger - ANSWER -Thiokol engineers in Utah were
beginning to realize that O-ring blowby leakage was adversely affected by
temperature, and that low temp launches could introduce risk that were yet
,not well understood
-The ambient temp at the Florida launch site on the morning of launch was
36 degrees Farenheit, well below previous experiences, and with heavy ice
buildup on the launch vehicle and tower
-hot gases generated by the combustion of solid rocket fuel in the booster
found a pathway through the joint that is sealed by 2 o-rings and filled with
sealing putting
People of Columbia disaster - ANSWER Rodney Rocha- NASA engineer who
had concerns with foam
Linda Ham - NASA senior manager who OK'ed launchColumbia accident
investigation BOARD, admiral HAL Gehman
Decisions in Columbia Disaster - ANSWER -management denied several
requests by different engineering groups for clearer photos of foam impact
on shuttle wing
-although foam strikes were below performance specifications of the shuttle,
management convinced themselves that past successes were an indication
that a known defect would not cause problems, instead of deciding the issue
on the basis of testing and sound engineering analysis
Organizational factors that contributed to the loss of the Columbia: -
ANSWER 1. characterization of the shuttle as an operational, rather than
developmental program
2. schedule pressures
3. organizational barriers preventing effective comm of safety info
, 4. constrained financial and personnel resources
Technical Issues: - ANSWER 1. impact of a briefcase-sized piece of foam that
destroyed the wing leading edge and the main spar in the left wing
2. defects resulting from a non-optimal design, because the bipod structure
and foam application processes were designed separately
3. hot gases entering a breach in the wing leading edge and destroying the
structural integrity of the wing
Groupthink - ANSWER situation in which groups come to agreement at the
expense of critical thinking
1. illusion of invulnerability
2. shared stereotypes
3. rationalizations (shift responsibility to others)
4. illusion of morality
5.self-censorship
6.illusion of unanimit- silence of a group member is consent
7. direct pressure
8. mindguarding- prevening intro of dissening views
Normalization of Deviance - ANSWER acceptance of anomalies or even
increase in the boundaries of acceptable risk, instead of correcting the design
or the operating conditions that led to those anomalies
Proper Engineering Decision - ANSWER A decision that should be made by
engineers or at least governed by professional engineering standards b/c:
Complete Solution
People involved in challenger disaster - ANSWER Roger Boisjoly- Enginer at
thiokol
Robert Lund- VP engineer at Thiokol
Jerald Mason- Senior VP at Thiokol who pressured to launch
NASA-Marshall
Rogers commission
decisions of Challenger - ANSWER -Boisjoly voiced concerns anout o-ring
issues
-Thiokol managers responsible for the go/no-go decision initially offered a
no-launch recognition in response to Boisjoly's objections, but reversed this
decision after NASA-marshall administrators reacted negatively
-Despite being told to "put on his management hat" Roger Boisjoly
maintained his view that it was unsafe to launch Challenger in such cold
condition
-Roger Boisjol testified about the questionable process that led up to the
decision to launch Challenger
Technical issues with Challenger - ANSWER -Thiokol engineers in Utah were
beginning to realize that O-ring blowby leakage was adversely affected by
temperature, and that low temp launches could introduce risk that were yet
,not well understood
-The ambient temp at the Florida launch site on the morning of launch was
36 degrees Farenheit, well below previous experiences, and with heavy ice
buildup on the launch vehicle and tower
-hot gases generated by the combustion of solid rocket fuel in the booster
found a pathway through the joint that is sealed by 2 o-rings and filled with
sealing putting
People of Columbia disaster - ANSWER Rodney Rocha- NASA engineer who
had concerns with foam
Linda Ham - NASA senior manager who OK'ed launchColumbia accident
investigation BOARD, admiral HAL Gehman
Decisions in Columbia Disaster - ANSWER -management denied several
requests by different engineering groups for clearer photos of foam impact
on shuttle wing
-although foam strikes were below performance specifications of the shuttle,
management convinced themselves that past successes were an indication
that a known defect would not cause problems, instead of deciding the issue
on the basis of testing and sound engineering analysis
Organizational factors that contributed to the loss of the Columbia: -
ANSWER 1. characterization of the shuttle as an operational, rather than
developmental program
2. schedule pressures
3. organizational barriers preventing effective comm of safety info
, 4. constrained financial and personnel resources
Technical Issues: - ANSWER 1. impact of a briefcase-sized piece of foam that
destroyed the wing leading edge and the main spar in the left wing
2. defects resulting from a non-optimal design, because the bipod structure
and foam application processes were designed separately
3. hot gases entering a breach in the wing leading edge and destroying the
structural integrity of the wing
Groupthink - ANSWER situation in which groups come to agreement at the
expense of critical thinking
1. illusion of invulnerability
2. shared stereotypes
3. rationalizations (shift responsibility to others)
4. illusion of morality
5.self-censorship
6.illusion of unanimit- silence of a group member is consent
7. direct pressure
8. mindguarding- prevening intro of dissening views
Normalization of Deviance - ANSWER acceptance of anomalies or even
increase in the boundaries of acceptable risk, instead of correcting the design
or the operating conditions that led to those anomalies
Proper Engineering Decision - ANSWER A decision that should be made by
engineers or at least governed by professional engineering standards b/c:
