It took the twenty year anniversary (2006) to bring the first loss of U.S. astronauts in flight back into the public’s consciousness. NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51L) was lost 73 seconds after lift-off on January 28, 1986, the victim of faulty O-ring seals on its Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), and a broken management and safety culture within NASA. NASA grounded the Shuttle fleet until 1988, at which point Shuttle flights resumed with redesigned SRBs, and a newfound appreciation of the risks of human spaceflight. Did the management and safety culture change? Supposedly, yes, yet 17 years later, we lost Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) and her crew during re-entry — the victim of burn-through caused by wing damage sustained during lift-off. [Read more…]