What common characteristic linked the critical failures in both Challenger and Columbia incidents?

Answer

Components meant to withstand extreme thermal loads/sealing integrity.

A tragic recurring theme between the two disasters involves the failure of components tasked with maintaining physical integrity against extreme thermal stress. For Challenger, the O-ring seals failed to contain the superheated combustion gases generated internally by the SRB. For Columbia, the Thermal Protection System (TPS) failed to shield the wing structure from the external superheated plasma generated by friction during hypersonic atmospheric re-entry. In both cases, the integrity against intense heat was the single point of failure leading to structural breakup.

What common characteristic linked the critical failures in both Challenger and Columbia incidents?

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