Florida is the home of hot, humid weather, the NASA space program, and the space shuttle. Space shuttle launches seem like routine events now, with little possibility of disasters like those associated with the initial rocket launches of the 1960s. But a disaster did occur on January 28, 1986, when the “Challenger” space shuttle blew up with seven astronauts on board.
Investigators had to study pictures, videos, data from computers, design specifications, and weather conditions to piece together the cause of the explosion of the fuel tanks. Investigations led scientists to believe that the tragic event was due to a leak through an “O” ring (similar to those found in water faucets to prevent leakage/dripping of water) in the booster rockets. It was also noted that weather for that day had been uncharacteristically cold.
What caused the normally tight fitting “O” rings to leak and the subsequent explosion of the fuel tanks? Explain your thinking.
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