ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Acceptable Risk | 2

ENCORE: Challenger Disaster | Acceptable Risk | 2

July 14, 2026 · 37 min · Season 76 · Episode 2

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges faced by NASA and Morton Thiokol regarding the O-Rings in the space shuttle's rocket boosters amid rising public interest in the Teacher in Space program.

As NASA struggles to keep its ambitious launch schedule on track, engineers at contractor Morton Thiokol raise concerns about a key component of the space shuttle’s rocket boosters: O-Rings, which are designed to prevent fuel leaks. Amid this tension, the Teacher in Space program captivates the nation after Christa McAuliffe is selected, raising public interest in the launch.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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