This Picture Is A Wee Bit Confusing…and Possibly A Little Disturbing. :)

‘The Challenger Disaster’ (US title. UK title: ‘The Challenger’ as shown in the above image) is a BBC/Science Channel original film about the investigation into the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger explosion amidst an attempted flight on January 28, 1986 which claimed the lives of seven astronauts: Commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Judith A. Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka and Ronald E. McNair; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and Sharon Christa McAuliffe.

I don’t want to do a disservice to the film or the processes responsible for the disaster by muddying up the details, so here’s a brief overview of the problem (via Wiki) which enabled the gradual disintegration and explosion of the shuttle:

Disintegration of the vehicle began after an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster (SRB) failed at liftoff. The O-ring failure caused a breach in the SRB joint it sealed, allowing pressurized hot gas from within the solid rocket motor to reach the outside and impinge upon the adjacent SRB attachment hardware and external fuel tank. This led to the separation of the right-hand SRB’s aft attachment and the structural failure of the external tank. Aerodynamic forces broke up the orbiter. image sources

A meticulous and intensive investigation was brought forth by the Presidential Commission, led by William Rogers, Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, and Chuck Yeager. The investigation revealed multiple flaws which led to the accident, involving: design flaws, mismanagement, poor communication between NASA and its contractors, inadequate safety procedures, and most notably - to which this film highlights - the “go ahead” approval on launch day under inadequate weather conditions that directly compromised the SRB O-ring joint seals.

Physicist Richard Feynman (above) was brought aboard the investigation as an outside consultant whom would be able to participate strictly as a scientist, free from bias or bureaucratic influence.

His overall assessment of the accident was thorough, honest, and explicitly raw science. Commissioners on the investigative board criticized Feynman’s report and threatened to throw it out, claiming it could be “too damaging to NASA.” Feynman, discouraged and furious, retorted with a threat of his own: that he wouldn’t sign off on the final report as a matter of conscience. The commissioners backed down and decided to include an appendix to the report which would include Feynman’s details, but suggested a more “toned-down version” be printed.

William Hurt, Bruce Greenwood, Stephen Jennings, Brian Dennehy and Eve Best in ’The Challenger Disaster’

Professor Feynman’s report ended with these prophetic words which still loom over NASA and in my opinion, all of science, today:

“NASA owes it to the citizens from whom it asks support to be frank, honest, and informative, so that these citizens can make the wisest decisions for the use of their limited resources. For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.”

Watch the news report and interview with Feynman on the Challenger investigation and view the trailer for the film ’The Challenger Disaster.’

#ScienceRocks

A genius named Eleanor Lutz made a beautiful map of one interesting slice of Mars (based on this USGS map). She says:

Recently I’ve been really into old maps made by medieval explorers. I thought it would be fun to use their historical design style to illustrate our current adventures into unexplored territory. So here’s my hand-drawn topographic map of Mars, complete with official landmark names and rover landing sites.

Not only is it beautiful to look out - it’s fun to explore. I never new that Mars’ small craters are officially named after small earth towns - here, Lutz labels them and (in caps) indicates their home country on earth. The large craters bear the names of famous scientists.

I highly recommend heading over to http://tabletopwhale.com/ to check out the higher resolution version.

The Big Bang Theory Merchandise: http://bit.ly/1aAdDNX

As our knowledge of the universe in which we live increases, may God grant us the wisdom and guidance to use it wisely.

John Glenn

(1921-2016)

This is how you religion.

(via sagansense)

You need people like me so you can point your fucking fingers and say "there's the bad guy."

Tony Montana

I officially bow down to the artists working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Also, thanks to NASA for recognizing and celebrating the power of art like this. 

These STUNNING posters can all be downloaded directly from JPL (in hi-res). And their mere existence is reason enough for a new Wednesday theme: World Tour Wednesday. 

Stay tuned for some more awesome posters that are out of this world* and worth touring

- Summer

*too easy?

Secret Recipes To Try At Home