Lack of ethics destroyed Challenger space mission.

"We all knew if the seals failed, the shuttle would blow up!" - Roger Boisjoly.

Roger Boisjoly was an engineer working for the Morton Thiokal company which supplied parts for NASA at the time of the Challenger space shuttle disaster back in January 1986. Months before the disaster he, along with three other employees, remembers speaking to the managers of his company about his belief that the elastic seals on the rocket booster (SRB) were faulty.

The outermost seal, also known as an O-ring, had been designed to seat itself and then flex along with the joint where two individual parts of the SRB came together. It was discovered, however, that instead of staying seated in its place during periods of flexion the ring would often shift out of position allowing exhaust to escape. This hot gas would then damage the ring.

Cold temperature was also noted to be a safety concern. Engineers working on the project knew that freezing temperatures would cause the rings to stiffen. Once they were incapable of flexing, gas was bound to escape. One spark is all it would take cause the SRB to explode, as well as the shuttle itself. This is what Boisjoly had tried so hard to warn everyone about.

At around this same time, the Morton Thiokal company were in the middle of negotiating with NASA on the renewal of their contract. Ethical or not, it is believed that the company's plan was to keep Boisjoly's warnings low key until after the new deal was "sealed."

NASA evidently was aware that there was a problem. A day before the scheduled launch NASA and Morton Thiokal held a teleconference to decide once and for all if the shuttle was flight worthy. After one last debate the managers of the company gave the okay to proceed as planned.

Boisjoly was alarmed upon hearing this! This January had been the coldest on record in Florida; he knew the rings were sure to fail. Behind the scenes he made attempt after attempt to cancel the flight. Only moments into the flight, the shuttle was lost. The company managers had gambled on the other people's lives and lost.

Unfortunately Boisjoly was branded a "whistle blower" by his colleague's and was ostracized by the engineering community at large. I, however, believe there should be more people out there like Boisjoly who will step up and do the right thing even when you stand alone. You are a hero in my book.

Others also have acknowledged his bravery before the disaster. He was given the Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1988.

Mr. Boisjoly, you will be remembered for your honesty and integrity. May you rest in peace. April 25, 1938 – January 6, 2012.