Man Who Attempted To Stop Challenger Launch And Disater, Dies
Roger Boisjoly is not a common household name. He died a few weeks ago. He was racked with guilt at his failure in 1986 to prevent the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The story of a politically hurried launch, frozen o-rings and the ensuing disaster have been well documented. What has been lost is the efforts of one of the few men that tried to prevent it before hand.
Boisjoly had identified the issue with the o-rings. He issued memos detailing his concerns, fears and ultimate potential loss of life. The day of the launch he argued feverishly over the issue. Ultimately NASA officials overruled his fears and proceeded with the ill fated launch.
In his later years he traveled to engineering schools around the world, speaking about ethical decision-making and sticking with data. Boisjoly continued to respond to emails and letters from engineering students right up until his sudden death in his sleep last month in St. George, Utah. He was diagnosed with cancer two weeks before.