Which member of the Rogers Commission publicly demonstrated the O-ring failure mechanism using a glass of ice water?
Answer
Richard Feynman
Physicist Richard Feynman, serving as a member of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (Rogers Commission), provided a stark and tangible demonstration of the cause of the failure. He illustrated the loss of resiliency in the O-ring material by submerging a sample piece in a glass of ice water. This action effectively showed how the material became inflexible in the launch day's low temperatures, preventing it from sealing the SRB joint as intended, thus clarifying the direct link between the weather conditions and the ensuing technical failure for the commission.
Related Questions
What precise duration elapsed until the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart after lifting off during mission STS-51L?What critical components failed due to the unusually cold weather, leading to the immediate cause of the STS-51L disaster?Which member of the Rogers Commission publicly demonstrated the O-ring failure mechanism using a glass of ice water?What was the formal designation of the Presidential Commission investigating the 1986 Challenger accident?What ambitious annual flight goal, indicative of organizational pressure, did NASA aim to meet before the Challenger disaster?Which contractor manufactured the solid rocket booster motors whose O-ring joints failed during the STS-51L ascent?What was the name of the orbiter constructed to replace the destroyed Space Shuttle Challenger?At approximately what altitude did the Challenger stack experience disintegration during the flight of STS-51L?What fate likely befell the seven crew members following the initial breakup of the orbiter cabin section?Which key figure chaired the Presidential Commission investigating the Challenger accident?When did spaceflight officially resume after NASA grounded the shuttle fleet following the Challenger disaster?