3/14/2019 MEMO English - Google Docs

 
To  Marshall Space Flight Center Management, NASA. 

From  Christian Vazquez, Morton Thiokol Engineers.  

RE  Delay the Challenger Shuttle due to cold weather increasing O-rings risks. 

Date  December 28, 1985. 

 
MEMORANDUM 
[URGENT] 
 
Overview 
My team has concluded that the Challenger Shuttle must be delayed immediately. The 
temperature on the set day of the launch will be far too cold for the rubber O-rings, 
which would make them stiffer and less elastic. Brittle O-rings will break and make it 
impossible to maintain a seal. Without a proper seal, there will be erosion in the booster 
rocket that will breach into the fuel tank and explode. If no action is taken to prevent 
this, the shuttle will be up in smoke. 
 
Temperature and O-ring trials 
As mentioned above, the Challenger’s ambient temperature will be a risk factor for 
O-ring defectivity. In our chart (below), we see a trend of more reported damage to the 
booster rockets occurring during colder weather. SRM-15, which was launched at 53°F, 
had 11 reported damages to the booster rockets. The predicted temperature for the 
Challenger is said to be between 26°F to 29°F. None of our test launches have reached 
temperatures that cold; our data show that anything below 53°F could lead to a major 
disaster.   
 
During previous test launches, the secondary O-ring failed to maintain a seal on the 
SRM field joint a er the primary O-ring eroded. At 50°F the O-ring did not re-establish 
contact in ten minutes at which time the test was terminated (Winsor, 1988, p. 105). The 
secondary O-ring cannot be relied upon and will be useless if there were to be a breach 
in the field joint. The likelihood of there being a blow out on the day of the Challenger 
launch is evident and without the proper backup, the shuttle is doom to explode. 
 
Solution 
Rather than launching the shuttle on the 28th of January, whose predicted temperature 
falls between 26°F to 29°F, that you launch it on the 1st of February when the 
temperature is certain to reach at least 67°F. Anything below the suggested temperature 
has been known to lead to disastrous results because the O-rings’ declining resilence 
with colder temperatures. We urge you to consider the destruction of the Challenger to 
be imminent if plans go as followed. 
 
 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iz0ltEBH10m9rNOcoZ-iGROnlj2Nf7LGnV0ZLOD18oI/edit 1/3
3/14/2019 MEMO English - Google Docs

DATA 
 

 
 
This graph, adapted from Tu e’s data, shows the damage index during the previous 24 
shuttle launch attempts. The trend line shows how there has been more damage to the 
O-Rings as the temperature gets colder. As listed on the graph, the challenger is said to 
launch at temperatures of 26°F- 29°F. With this trend, it is evident that the O-rings 
would not be able to handle colder temperature than 53°F. (Tu e, 1997, p. 23) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iz0ltEBH10m9rNOcoZ-iGROnlj2Nf7LGnV0ZLOD18oI/edit 2/3
3/14/2019 MEMO English - Google Docs

Works Cited 
 
Tu e, E. R. (1997) Visual and Statistical Thinking: Displays of Evidence for Making Decisions. 
Chesire, CT: Graphics Press, LLC. 
 
Winsor, D. A. (Sep. 1988). “Communication failures contributing to the Challenger 
accident: an example for technical communicators.” IEEE Transactions on Professional 
Communication Vol. 31, No.3: 101 - 107. New Jersey: IEEE 
 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iz0ltEBH10m9rNOcoZ-iGROnlj2Nf7LGnV0ZLOD18oI/edit   3/3