Causes of the Challenger Accident

Causes of the Challenger accident

A commission was appointed by the president of the US to investigate the

accident. The Rogers Commission as it was called addressed the problems

in the following two areas:

1. Mechanical problems.

2. Administrative problems.

The mechanical fault that led to the explosion of the Challenger was

identified in the right solid rocket booster. A field joint between the sections

of the SRB allowed exhaust flames to leak through the field joint. A field

joint is a joint between the sections of the SRB that was assembled in the

field at the Kennedy Space Center during the final construction of the

booster. The leaked flames impinged upon the external fuel tank. The

flames managed to penetrate and ignite the fuel in the external fuel tank,

causing the explosion.

The failure of the sealing system on the field joint that led to the explosion

of the Challenger was a result of the combination of four problems:

1. The tendency for holes to form in the putty which protected the seals

from the high temperature exhaust gases.

2. The decomposition of the seals due to contact with the hot exhaust

gases.

3. An instantaneous increase in the size of the gap between mating

sections of