In this blog post, we will look back at the importance of engineering ethics through the causes and processes of the Challenger explosion, and examine the ethical responsibilities and decisions we should practice.
On January 28, 1986, the Challenger, a NASA space shuttle carrying the future of all mankind, was ambitiously launched. With the eyes of the world on it, the Challenger, carrying the hopes and expectations of many, was about to write a new history of space. However, just 73 seconds after launch, tragedy struck, as no one could have predicted. The Challenger exploded in midair, killing all of its crew members. This explosion scene was broadcast live on air and spread around the world, and everyone was shocked and horrified by the terrible moment that was shown on the TV screen. Smoke filled the sky, and debris fell into the Atlantic Ocean like shooting stars. Not only astronauts, but also teachers, engineers, and scientists were on board. This was not just a failure of a single launch vehicle, but an event that left a deep scar on the trust in science and technology and in the progress of humanity.
The accident was interpreted as the result of a systematic failure, not a simple technical defect. The US government immediately formed an accident investigation committee under the President to determine the cause of the Challenger accident and began a major investigation that lasted for several months. The conclusion reached in the statement released after a lengthy investigation was that the two rubber O-rings used in the rocket’s auxiliary propulsion unit did not function properly due to the low temperature at the time of launch. In other words, the temperature was so low that the rubber contracted, causing the seal to fail and resulting in a gas leak. Moreover, the investigation results revealed problems in managerial and political decision-making processes beyond technical issues. It was revealed that the management of Tiacolsa, which was under pressure to sign a contract with NASA, forced the launch despite the fact that Tiacolsa’s technical team had pointed out the temperature problem even the day before the launch and opposed the launch. This has brought the topic of “engineering ethics” to the fore.
Let’s go back to 1986. At the time, the launch of the Challenger had already been delayed several times. Originally scheduled to launch on January 22, the launch of the Challenger was postponed for six days due to weather and technical issues. Under these circumstances, NASA was unable to handle the delays any longer, and there was a lot of pressure to force the launch to go ahead as scheduled. On January 27, the management of Tiacos, which was supposed to notify NASA of the final launch suitability, decided to make a final decision on the launch suitability despite the objections of the technical staff. The technical staff had already raised the issue several times that the rubber O-ring might not work properly at low temperatures, but the management ignored it. The reason was simple economic reasons. With the contract with NASA determining the economic survival of Tiacol, there was a risk that the contract would be canceled if the launch was postponed again, which would have led to a loss of trust in Tiacol. The company’s management was torn between technical concerns about the possibility of an explosion and a sense of responsibility to protect the livelihoods of the company and its employees. In the end, they chose the livelihoods of the employees, which ultimately led to the tragedy of the deaths of all the passengers.
This incident clearly shows how ethical dilemmas can play out in modern engineering and management. What if the management of Thiocool had applied a duty of care based on the principle of respect for humanity? If they had prioritized the safety concerns raised by the technical team instead of the employer’s demands to minimize costs and meet the launch schedule, they could have achieved better results. For example, if the launch was postponed and the temperature was allowed to rise to a suitable level before the Challenger was launched, the lives of the passengers might have been saved. This is the best solution based on the ethics of duty. However, from an economic perspective, such a decision might not guarantee the future of the company. The possibility of a delay in the space shuttle program and the resulting cancellation of the contract with NASA must have been a huge burden for the management of Thiocool.
This incident also shows that engineering ethics is not just a technical issue, but a complex issue involving social and economic impacts. Some have suggested that engineering ethics issues such as the Challenger accident can be solved with a “Creative Middle Ground Approach.” This is a method of finding a compromise between the best and the second-best options, which would be, for example, delaying the launch until the temperature is right on the day of the Challenger launch. However, such solutions are not always feasible in reality. NASA’s schedule was strict, and the Tiacos management, which was under pressure, may not have had the luxury of finding a “creative middle ground.” As a result, the Challenger was eventually launched as planned, and it met a tragic end.
After the Challenger explosion, Roger Boisjoly, one of the engineers at Thiocoolsa who exposed the truth of the incident, continued to give lectures on engineering ethics and tried to raise awareness of the issue. He submitted internal company documents to prove that he had tried to prevent the accident, but the psychological pain he experienced was considerable. In the end, he suffered from deep depression as a result of this incident, and he spent the rest of his life warning others not to repeat the same tragedy through engineering ethics education.
This year marks the 38th anniversary of the Challenger explosion. Although a lot of time has passed since then, the issue of engineering ethics remains an important topic in our society. Universities and companies are increasingly emphasizing engineering ethics education, but there are criticisms that it remains at a superficial level. When we see the accidents that are constantly appearing in the news, we cannot help but question whether engineering ethics education is functioning properly. We need to think again about how much our society recognizes the importance of engineering ethics and whether we are actually practicing its values.
Engineering ethics is an important moral standard for protecting human life and safety and the trust of society as a whole, beyond simply preventing technical errors. The Challenger explosion should remind us of the importance of ethical decision-making, and it is essential to create a systematic educational environment where companies and researchers can deeply understand and practice ethical awareness. Furthermore, it is necessary to go beyond formal education and come up with practical measures for engineering ethics.
