/sci/ - Science & Math

>>9510238

Justice

Can we have a thread about NASA failures and the toxic culture that precipitated them?

I was reading up on the Columbia disaster last night and I can't believe no one went to jail over this.

>Space shuttle Columbia takes off
>piece of foam insulation breaks off and damages the left wing
>NASA analysts insist the damage is nothing serious
>mission proceeds
>evidence from computer modelling shows that it might be quite serious
>NASA ignores the data
>DOD offers to photograph the shuttle in space so the crew can assess the damage and consider the prospect of repair
>NASA blocks the DOD from intervening, reasoning that there's nothing the crew can do about it
>NASA bureaucrats led by Linda Ham (who was later dismissed) decide that they're all dead anyway and it would be better not to let them know it
>Quote: You know, there is nothing we can do about damage to the TPS [Thermal Protection System]. If it has been damaged it's probably better not to know. I think the crew would rather not know. Don't you think it would be better for them to have a happy successful flight and die unexpectedly during entry than to stay on orbit, knowing that there was nothing to be done, until the air ran out?
>meanwhile NASA ground control sends the following message up to the crew before they begin reentry:
>During ascent at approximately 80 seconds, photo analysis shows that some debris came loose and subsequently impacted the orbiter left wing. The impact appears to be totally on the lower surface and no particles are seen to traverse over the upper surface of the wing. Experts have reviewed the high speed photography and there is no concern for RCC or tile damage. We have seen this same phenomenon on several other flights and there is absolutely no concern for entry.
>astronauts are now flying blind into almost certain death
>shuttle explodes over Texas
>Mission control declares a contingency and seals the room. Finger pointing begins at NASA