In July, 1985, while working at Morton Thiokol, he wrote a memo to his bosses concerning the faulty design of the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters that, if left unaddressed, could lead to a catastrophic failure during launch.
He was apparently ignored.
Following several more memos, a task force was set up, but was given no power, resources, or management support. In late 1985, Boisjoly warned his managers that if the problem was not fixed, there was a distinct chance that a shuttle mission would end in disaster.
When the Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51L mission was confirmed for January 28, 1986, Boisjoly and his colleagues tried to stop the flight. Morton Thiokol managers agreed that the issue was serious enough to recommend delaying the flight. Yet, after NASA pushed-back, the Morton Thiokol managers caved in, and made no objections to launching the Challenger.
The visual of what happened on that mission is seared into the memories of anyone old enough to remember it. The O-rings on the solid rocket booster failed at launch. At 59 seconds after launch, hot gasses pierced the shell of the booster, burning into the Shuttle's external hydrogen tank. At 73 seconds, the Challenger disintegrated.
Roger Boisjoly, and his co-workers, knew exactly what happened.
Ronald Reagan ordered a presidential commission to look into the disaster. Boisjoly was called as a witness, to give his opinion on how and why the O-rings failed. Boisjoly found himself shunned by his coworkers, and resigned from Morton Thiokol.
He was subsequently diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A letter written by him about this is published at fairwhistleblower.ca. It makes compelling reading.
Boisjoly was awarded the Prize for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for his integrity leading up to and following the Challenger disaster.
In a world with many fake heros, Roger Boisjoly was a genuine one.