IP-0005Featured recordThe Warning NASA Ignored Before Challenger
Failure mechanism
Read the case file A booster joint seal failed after warnings about O-ring performance in cold conditions.
Discovery channel The Failure Archive
THE FAILURES
ENGINEERING
NEVER FORGOT.
Featured recordIP-0005
Challenger1986 · Human Spaceflight
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11 cases
IP-0005Featured record
IP-0001The Bridge That Destroyed Itself
Failure mechanism
Read the case file Aeroelastic flutter amplified the bridge deck’s torsional motion.
IP-0002The Rocket That Became a Fireball
Failure mechanism
Read the case file A first-stage engine turbopump failure caused a catastrophic loss of thrust.
IP-0003NASA Crashed This Plane on Purpose
Failure mechanism
Read the case file Impact damage released fuel faster than the experimental formulation could suppress fire.
IP-0004The Airship Disaster That Ended an Era
Failure mechanism
Read the case file A fire spread rapidly through the hydrogen-filled airship during landing.
IP-0006The Brand-New Dam That Collapsed
Failure mechanism
Read the case file Internal erosion turned growing leaks into an uncontrollable structural breach.
IP-0007The Telescope That Collapsed Before It Could Be Saved
Failure mechanism
Read the case file Progressive support-cable failures made repair unsafe before the final collapse.
IP-0008The NASA Capsule That Crashed at 193 MPH
Failure mechanism
Read the case file Gravity switches installed backward prevented the parachute sequence from starting.
IP-0009The Explosion That Spilled 134 Million Gallons
Failure mechanism
Read the case file A well blowout escalated into a rig fire, sinking, and uncontrolled oil release.
IP-0010NASA Lost a Mars Mission Over One Unit Error
Failure mechanism
Read the case file English-unit thruster data was interpreted as metric by navigation software.
IP-0011The Satellite That Fell Because 24 Bolts Were Missing
Failure mechanism
Read the case file The satellite was rotated without verifying that twenty-four securing bolts were installed.
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