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What factors contributed to the failure of the Challenger space shuttle?
The immediate cause of the Challenger disaster was the failure of two rubber O-rings to seal a joint between the two lower segments of the right-hand solid rocket booster. This failure was due to severe cold, and it opened a path for hot exhaust gas to escape from inside the booster during the shuttle’s ascent.
How much did each space shuttle launch cost?
The total cost of the actual 30-year service life of the Shuttle program through 2011, adjusted for inflation, was $196 billion. The exact breakdown into non-recurring and recurring costs is not available, but, according to NASA, the average cost to launch a Space Shuttle as of 2011 was about $450 million per mission.
What were some criticisms of the Space Shuttle program?
Criticism of the Space Shuttle program stemmed from claims that NASA’s Shuttle program failed to achieve its promised cost and utility goals, as well as design, cost, management, and safety issues.
Why did the Space Shuttle not have a survivable abort?
The Shuttle program’s goal of returning its crew to Earth safely conflicted with the goal of a rapid and inexpensive payload launch. Furthermore, because in many cases there were no survivable abort modes, many pieces of hardware had to function perfectly and so required careful inspection before each flight.
Why was the Space Shuttle originally billed as a space vehicle?
The Shuttle was originally billed as a space vehicle that would be able to launch once a week and give low launch costs through amortization. Development costs were expected to be recouped through frequent access to space. These claims were made in an effort to obtain budgetary funding from the United States Congress.
What was the expected launch rate for the Space Shuttle program?
Early in shuttle development, the expected launch rate was about 12 per year. Launch rates reached a peak of 9 per year in 1985 but averaged 4.5 for the entire program.