The Challenger Disaster

Subtitles by explosiveskull

I am an O-ring expert.

I worked on the Solid Rocket Boosters

for the Space Shuttle Challenger.

So you work for NASA?

No.

I worked for the company in Utah

that was contracted to build rockets for NASA.

You work there now?

No.

And your responsibilities were...

what?

I was appointed to the Special Seals Integrity Unit.

And I would make inspections for the recovered rockets

and the rockets that were ready for launch.

And on the night in question during the telecon,

I made my findings clear.

Just a moment, please. We will get to that later.

During the presidential commission,

my colleagues and I expressed our concern.

We will get to that later.

I'm here to bring a billion-dollar civil suit

against my company,

so what do you want to know right now?

I'm here to determine if you are a victim,

or if you are the cause of the problem

before we take your case.

I'm not the problem.

You were responsible for the O-rings, correct?

Yes.

Did anyone work for you or with you?

What does that matter?

Because what you are proposing we do with your case

won't be like the Presidential Commission hearings.

In the Court of Public Opinion, perception matters.

Now, was anyone working for you or with you?

I didn't have any employees working for me, so what?

I'm responsible?

Didn't take you long to us get there, did it?

I'm here to protect you.

Protect us from what?

Well, I heard about what you did,

which was a great thing.

You saw something that concerned you

and you spoke up about it.

I'm the one that tried to stop it.

The future of the space program was in our hands.

And seven lives.

And seven lives.

There are gonna be a lot of accusations,

a lot of questions,

but this is our chance, that...

I mean, our story, as a team, is heard.

Did you know that the Space Shuttle Challenger

was set to launch the day before?

And had it launched,

everything would have been perfectly fine.

If not for a jammed up door handle

on the outer hull of the hatch.

Yes, sir.

No, sir.

Yes, sir, we're working on it.

Yes, sir.

There were a lot of factors that contributed to this.

In 1986, the space program was attempting to launch

24 shuttles a year.

We're really gonna work on a spaceship

with a hacksaw?

Should we get the drill?

I don't know.

They weren't even getting close.

The most we got was ten.

I think they should send Mike up with the drill.

You guys sending Mike up?

It was embarrassing.

And only added pressure on us to launch.

- What'd they say? - Mike's coming up.

I'll do it.

Got it.

Yes, sir. We got it.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay. Well, I'll let them know, but I think...

Yes, sir, I'll let them know.

What's going on?

They're pushing launch to tomorrow.

Put it back on.

Okay.

- Five minutes to finish. - Okay.

Emma!

Five minutes to get ready.

Dad makes the rockets?

No, dummy, he seals them.

- Don't say "dummy." - Stop!

Stop. Mom!

- Stop it. - I'm trying to show her.

- Stop! Stop! - The rocket is broken up

into pieces and he makes sure they are sealed

- when they go back together. - Stop that. Come here.

I was trying to show her.

Name-calling and bullying accomplishes nothing.

But Dad says being right is what matters.

Dad, tell her you make the rockets.

I seal the rockets.

See?

And that's part of making the rockets.

- See? - Come on, let's go.

We're gonna be late.

Let's go, let's go. Five, four, three, two...

Don't forget your lunch.

...one.

Emma, hey.

- Dad? - Yep?

Is the shuttle launching today?

Nope. You're good.

Wait. Why not?

Those idiots can't get anything right.

Don't say "idiots."

And just remember how you're right is important, too.

There's only one way to be right.

Dad?

Yeah?

Does everybody work at the company you work for?

Mostly.

How many?

I don't know. Thousands of those doo-dahs.

Dad?

Yes?

Is Mom right or are you right?

Now that's the right question to be asking.

Don't you ever forget that.

In our family, we do what's right, okay?

- What does that mean? - What does that mean?

That means your mom is probably right.

But we'll see.

Many of you in the news media have asked

to have an opportunity to, uh, to hear a little a bit more

about the events that occurred, uh, this morning.

Okay, thank you. You know what?

Of course, it was just not our day.

Removed in the...

the ground support assist handle.

And that handle could not be removed

because a threaded fastener

apparently was stripped.

And we had a little bit of problem with the...

the frost and the ice on the external tank.

And then the wind picks up.

Uh, we we're really getting in the condition of no go

from the standpoint of RTLS crosswind.

Today also, we used a hacksaw on the, uh, vault.

Well, if the, uh, they did use a hacksaw

to... to cut away the... the cylinder

on this... this particular handle.

What... At what point would you say,

tomorrow the temperature's have caused, uh, a scrub in...

The outside temperature,

the absolute outside temperature,

we... we don't have...

No one seemed to care about the space program

until that stunt with that teacher.

Why do you call it a stunt?

It was unnecessary.

But, suddenly everyone's interested in space again.

Everyone was glued to their TVs, which meant...

all eyes were on us.

Adam. Adam!

When do you think they will reschedule the launch?

Not sure.

Why did they scrub the launch in the first place?

I don't know.

What about the...

Just getting to work like you, okay?

I'm sure we'll find out.

Okay. But, uh, they're expecting the temperatures

to be below freezing in Florida.

Freezing in Florida?

Okay.

The Challenger launch was postponed three times

and scrubbed once from the planned date

of January 22, 1986.

Correct.

They have a way of twisting your words around

and using them against you.

Would the other launches have resulted in O-ring failures

had they taken place?

You say one thing a little bit different a year from now...

you're on trial for perjury.

I guess the other launches would have been fine.

Do you do a lot of guessing in your line of work?

Florida may be experiencing

record low temperatures,

but the heat is still on.

School children from around the nation have gathered

to watch their favorite teacher prepare to blast off into space.

Sadly, there will be no launch today

as NASA has yet again scrubbed another shuttle launch.

This time, because of a jammed door handle.

Will NASA ever launch space shuttle Challenger?

I didn't find out until 1 p.m.