Engineer Who Tried to Prevent Challenger Disaster Has Died

[ep29030]

Bob Edeling, the engineer from Morton-Thiokol who tried to stop the Challenger launch, has died.

https://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2016/03/engineer-who-warned-challenger-problems-dies

 

[dhbarr]

January:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...ster-challenger-engineer-still-blames-himself

February:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...enger-shuttle-engineer-shed-30-years-of-guilt

March:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...-engineer-who-warned-of-shuttle-disaster-dies

 

[Cl(VII)]

January:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...ster-challenger-engineer-still-blames-himself

February:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...enger-shuttle-engineer-shed-30-years-of-guilt

Definitely worth listening to the second NPR story in particular. I heard it when it aired back in February, and you could feel his relief at the guilt being lifted. It came far after it should have, but I'm glad he got to let go of some of that before he passed.

 

[markjos]

Definitely worth listening to the second NPR story in particular. I heard it when it aired back in February, and you could feel his relief at the guilt being lifted. It came far after it should have, but I'm glad he got to let go of some of that before he passed.

+1 These are moving stories, and well done. Beyond the original tragedy, it's also dreadful that he carried this enormous weight on his shoulders for so long.

 

[dhbarr]

Not to get all maudlin, but I can't imagine a finer tribute to his engineering ethics.

You'll note that he doesn't say "I could have / should have / would have done X", he simply says that he wished someone better equipped to stop the launch had been able to do so.

To me, at least, that means that he knew that he had done all he possibly could, it just unfortunately wasn't enough.

Safe journey, space fan, wherever you are!

 

[djs]

To me, at least, that means that he knew that he had done all he possibly could, it just unfortunately wasn't enough.

This reminds me of the quote from Guenter Wendt to John Glenn's wife:
"Annie, we cannot guarantee you safe return of John. This would be lying. Nobody can guarantee you this – there is too much machinery involved. The one thing I can guarantee you is that when the spacecraft leaves it is in the best possible condition for a launch. If anything should happen to the spacecraft, I would like to be able to come and tell you about the accident and look you straight in the eye and say, 'We did the best we could.' My conscience then is clear and there is where my guideline is."

Many good people in the space program, and probably most of them spent their lives relatively unknown.

 

[dhbarr]

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo...-engineer-who-warned-of-shuttle-disaster-dies

boisjoly, ebeling, thompson, mcdonald, & russell ; they tried to save jarvis, mcaulliffe, mcnair, onizuka, resnik, smith, & scobee .

Hopefully some of us will remember.