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The Challenger Disaster (2013) (ENG) HD [Full Movie] [Trending Drama]Full EP - Full
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00:00:13Tonight's Space Shuttle Challenger on launch pad 39B as the Mammoth Space Center in Florida.
00:00:19It accounted and continues for tomorrow's launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger with its crew of seven, including New Hampshire
00:00:25school teacher Kristen McAuliffe.
00:00:38The Challenger mission L-51 has been the 51-L mission ready to go.
00:00:44At seven o'clock, the Challenger crew met with their traditional pre-flight breakfast.
00:00:49Roger, thanks Randy.
00:00:51And the mission L-2-4.
00:00:52Okay, everybody.
00:00:53Camps in.
00:00:54Copy P-O-P.
00:00:55Pfizer's down.
00:00:57L-2-1.
00:00:58L-2-1.
00:00:59L-2-1.
00:01:00L-2-1.
00:01:00L-2-1.
00:01:01L-2-1.
00:01:03L-2-1.
00:01:04Ladies and gentlemen of the faculty, students, quiet please.
00:01:08Please welcome our esteemed guest lecturer.
00:01:13Winner of the Einstein Award.
00:01:16One of the ten most significant physicists of all time.
00:01:20Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Dr. Richard Feynman.
00:01:41I bribed him to sell the nice stuff.
00:01:43Clearly, I just escaped from jail.
00:01:49Energy from potential to kinetic gives you...
00:01:54You see that?
00:01:56No.
00:01:58Don't write it down.
00:02:03Not until you know what it means.
00:02:15This will not hurt you.
00:02:17It might hurt me.
00:02:35Why didn't I have you write down the equation?
00:02:40You'd write it out.
00:02:41La-de-da-de-da, you feel pretty smart, right?
00:02:45But now you understand it.
00:02:47Mom, hurry up!
00:02:49Coming!
00:02:50Just getting down in about three minutes, and they think they can do it.
00:02:52They are counting.
00:02:53The ice is cleared away, and Challenger should be going away very soon.
00:02:58Let's get down to the Kennedy Space Center and take a look at Challenger sitting on the pad as they
00:03:02continue the countdown.
00:03:04Challenger's launch will be the 25th space shuttle mission.
00:03:06It's estimated over 30,000 people have been involved.
00:03:10Yeah, let's go.
00:03:11Let's go.
00:03:11I'm out there.
00:03:12At a total cost of nearly 40 billion dollars.
00:03:15Look at this.
00:03:15Okay, everybody.
00:03:16Captain.
00:03:17Try yourself.
00:03:19There goes Crystal McAuliffe, first teacher in space.
00:03:22During the mission, McAuliffe will be conducting scientific experiments, which will be beamed live to children in schoolrooms across America.
00:03:29The New Hampshire teachers describe Challenger as the ultimate field trip.
00:03:33What is science?
00:03:34Science is a way to teach how something gets to be known.
00:03:45Inasmuch as anything can be known, because nothing is known, absolutely.
00:03:52It's how to handle doubt and uncertainty.
00:04:03We have main engine start.
00:04:05Four, three, two, one.
00:04:10Liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission, and it has cleared the tower.
00:04:14Do you know what I'm doing?
00:04:15Yes!
00:04:20Engines at 65%, three engines at 3.3, the fuel bill.
00:04:25Treatment ADUs.
00:04:26Roger, Challenger.
00:04:29Challenger, go with throttle up.
00:04:31Science teaches us what the rules of evidence are.
00:04:37We mess with that at our peril.
00:04:40I've been driving down 3 to the other.
00:04:52We will report more as we have information available.
00:04:59Checking with the recovery forces.
00:05:05Obviously a major malfunction.
00:05:10We have no downlink.
00:05:12We have no downlink.
00:05:14We have no downlink.
00:05:27Show report.
00:05:29The space agency NASA has not yet confirmed the deaths of the school teacher and six other astronauts
00:05:34who were on board the shuttle Challenger when it exploded on takeoff this morning in Florida.
00:05:39But there seems little doubt that there were any survivors.
00:05:42NASA is conducting a news conference at this moment.
00:05:46Challenger exploded into a fireball and pieces came down in the Atlantic.
00:05:50Never in 25 launches of the space shuttle had a life been lost.
00:05:55Today, that record went down in flames.
00:05:58Tonight, the search for survivors turned up not.
00:06:01The search for answers is just starting.
00:06:04Bruce Hall begins our coverage of a spaceship that became a fireball and a national tragedy.
00:06:09Go on for launch.
00:06:10And liftoff to the cheers of the young students of the first ever U.S. teacher-astronaut.
00:06:17Moments later, a massive explosion.
00:06:19The cheering stops.
00:06:22I'm sorry, I can't watch this stuff.
00:06:29Seven Americans with the highest hopes.
00:06:32A billion dollars worth of the highest technology.
00:06:35Gone in seconds.
00:06:37The worst disaster in the U.S. space program, Evan.
00:06:52Hello.
00:06:53Hold on, hold on.
00:06:54No.
00:06:55Wait.
00:07:02Fine, my menagerie.
00:07:05Sorry, who is it?
00:07:06Hold on, hold on.
00:07:11Who is this?
00:07:13Bill.
00:07:13Bill who?
00:07:15Bill Graham.
00:07:18I've got 15,000 former students.
00:07:21Listen, pal, how did you get a hold of my home number?
00:07:26You get a hold of what?
00:07:29Yes, sir?
00:07:51You got your results back in?
00:07:53Nope.
00:07:59What's booking you?
00:08:00A phone call this morning.
00:08:05They want me to go to Washington.
00:08:08To sit on a presidential inquiry thing.
00:08:11What?
00:08:13Find out why the shuttle exploded.
00:08:16Did you say yes?
00:08:17I'm not even that end of the space program.
00:08:20I know people died, and I'm very sorry about that, but...
00:08:24Gwen, I do my work, my teaching.
00:08:29You guys, they just want to say that they bagged the famous physicist guy.
00:08:36They're a bunch of bureaucrats and generals with pokers up their asses.
00:08:40You know?
00:08:45What?
00:08:46You just said it.
00:08:47They wouldn't know where to look.
00:08:49You would.
00:08:50You can't pass up a puzzle.
00:08:52You're not as important as this.
00:09:01I'm sorry, love.
00:09:02You're right.
00:09:03I wasn't thinking.
00:09:06Write and explain that you're not fitting.
00:09:08I'm fit.
00:09:09I'm fit.
00:09:10What are you kidding?
00:09:11I'm fit as a fiddle.
00:09:13What do you Yorkshire folks say?
00:09:15I'm fit as a flea.
00:09:16You want the proof?
00:09:18Yeah, especially.
00:09:19You smell so good.
00:09:23Okay, but...
00:09:25Then you'd have no excuse.
00:09:30Damn you, woman.
00:09:37I'll have to wear a tie.
00:09:42I'll have to wear a tie.
00:10:09It's cold.
00:10:11NASA headquarters.
00:10:12NASA, you got it.
00:10:15Cold.
00:10:19With America still in shock after the world's worst space disaster,
00:10:23the address given by President Reagan in the hours following the accident
00:10:26now seems to have captured the mood of a nation.
00:10:29We mourn seven heroes.
00:10:31We mourn their loss as a nation together.
00:10:33So, sir, are you something to do in the inquiry there?
00:10:35Yeah, I'm on the presidential commission.
00:10:38Ah.
00:10:39Alongside some super important people.
00:10:41And slipped the surrey bonds of Earth
00:10:44to touch the face of God.
00:10:47Focus now turns to the cause of the tragedy
00:10:49as the presidential commission...
00:10:51We gotta get back up there.
00:10:53Something went really wrong.
00:10:55Senior members of the aerospace and life of the community.
00:10:58It's just...
00:11:12Keep that.
00:11:15Sir, could I trouble you for an autograph?
00:11:18Sir, who do I make it out to?
00:11:22Oh.
00:11:24Not you, sir.
00:11:25I meant Mr. Neil Armstrong.
00:11:27First man on the moon.
00:11:28You can mail it.
00:11:30That's my driver number at that address.
00:11:31You can hear it as part of the Rogers' commission.
00:11:34I promise.
00:11:37Professor, can you explain to me?
00:11:39Sir, what do you expect to find?
00:11:40To find the way you expect to find?
00:11:47Oh, yeah.
00:11:48Pardon me.
00:11:49Mr. Armstrong.
00:11:50Excuse me.
00:11:51I think we met.
00:11:52I'm Bill Rogers.
00:11:52I'm chairman of the commission.
00:11:54We're very fortunate to have you with us.
00:11:57Hey, I've got somebody who wants to meet you.
00:12:00First woman in space?
00:12:02Oh, wow.
00:12:03Mr. Neil.
00:12:04We'll never do it.
00:12:06Dr. Alton Laureate Richard Feynman.
00:12:08Your name I recognize, too.
00:12:09Several years.
00:12:10Oh.
00:12:12How is your integrity?
00:12:15Seriously.
00:12:22Commissioner, I appreciate you all coming together at short notice.
00:12:27We have a huge, vital task ahead of us, upon which might depend the future of manned spaceflight in this
00:12:34country.
00:12:35Now, I intend for this investigation to follow an orderly and proper procedure.
00:12:41We are not going to conduct it in a manner that is in any way unfairly critical of NASA, because
00:12:48we believe, and certainly I believe, that NASA has done an excellent job.
00:12:52And I believe that the American people think so, too.
00:12:56Anyway, we have to accept the fact that this shuttle is the most complex machine that's ever been built.
00:13:04I understand it has more than two and a half million parts.
00:13:08It may be, after due consideration.
00:13:10It's just not possible to identify the cause.
00:13:14Now, in terms of scheduling...
00:13:16That's nothing.
00:13:18I'm sorry, Dr. Feynman?
00:13:19Two and a half million.
00:13:20Small potatoes.
00:13:23I mean, really, look, I don't know much about space rockets, but I know a little something about probability.
00:13:29It's something I developed called path integral formulation.
00:13:37It's quantum mechanics, yuck, yuck.
00:13:39But basically what it means is that you can figure out the probability of something occurring,
00:13:48not just when you've got two and a half million events, but an infinity of possibilities.
00:13:56You know, over-large, the number of causal paths for whatever happened to Challenger,
00:14:03an explanation can be found.
00:14:07What are we doing here if we don't think it's possible?
00:14:11Right?
00:14:16Chairman Rogers, I headed an investigation into the failure of a Titan rocket,
00:14:21and I suggest I outline the procedure we used there.
00:14:24I appreciate the offer, General, continue, but I think in this case there's far less collectible evidence.
00:14:30I don't like to contradict you, sir, but in the case of the shuttle, as there were human beings aboard,
00:14:35it generates far more database material.
00:14:37Mr. Rogers, what the General said is the case.
00:14:39There are external cameras, there are black box recordings, there are telemetry sensors.
00:14:43There's a great deal of information.
00:14:45Thank you, General Tatum and Mr. Armstrong.
00:14:48I'm certain we can get back to this.
00:14:50Please, anyone.
00:14:52Chairman?
00:14:52Yes.
00:14:53I don't know about anyone else, but coming in, I got some major press attention.
00:14:59I'd like to know what we're to say for the sake of the astronaut families.
00:15:04What are we saying at this point?
00:15:06This is very important.
00:15:07Any and all inquiries from the press are to be directed to Chairman Rogers' office.
00:15:14So, the plan is, ladies and gentlemen, we will reconvene in five days' time.
00:15:22But for the present, enjoy your stay in Washington.
00:15:25What?
00:15:27When am I going to press it?
00:15:29Tio, we don't start right away.
00:15:48Great.
00:15:53Dr. Feynman, Bill Graham, head of NASA.
00:15:57You're the guy that got me into this.
00:15:59Well, I took your physics X lectures way back, never forgotten.
00:16:03I think you're going to bring something unique to the commission.
00:16:06I abandoned my teaching and a lot of important consulting to come here.
00:16:10I didn't imagine I was going to be told to sit on my tush for a week.
00:16:17So, here's what I'm going to need.
00:16:19I'm going to need a crash course shuttle designer.
00:16:21I need to know everything when how this thing was put together so you can start supplying me with technical
00:16:25manuals and so forth.
00:16:27And most of all, you've got to get me straight on the factory floor.
00:16:30Pretty new to NASA myself.
00:16:32We actually only took over two months ago.
00:16:34Oh, that's a bad timing.
00:16:35We're based here in Washington, but the shuttle engines and systems are all out of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
00:16:41It pretty much takes care of itself.
00:16:43Get the head of the whole schmear.
00:16:44I mean, you can get me in this Marshall place, otherwise I'm a busy fellow.
00:16:47I'll do my best.
00:16:48I'll get on it right away.
00:16:50Great.
00:16:51Thanks.
00:16:55I like that you didn't live up there on the mighty chairman.
00:17:01You take it.
00:17:02I don't care for limousine.
00:17:03Well, neither do I.
00:17:04I'm just a two-star general.
00:17:06Don't get assigned limousine.
00:17:08Take the subway.
00:17:11Pleasure.
00:17:11You too.
00:17:16Maxi!
00:17:20Oh, and there was a phone call for you, sir.
00:17:23Please call your doctor.
00:17:28Dr. Weiss?
00:17:31The elevator's just to your right, sir.
00:18:00To begin what may be a lengthy process, millions of Americans who watched our heroes perish
00:18:06only 73 seconds after takeoff on that cold January morning are waiting for answers.
00:18:11Nancy and I are tamed to the core for the tragedy of the shuttle challenge.
00:18:15We know we share the...
00:18:16Hello.
00:18:18Graham.
00:18:20Future doesn't belong.
00:18:21Oh, you got me in.
00:18:22Great.
00:18:23Don't take a plane down in the morning.
00:18:25The Challenger crew was pulling us...
00:18:26Thanks.
00:18:28Alpha Plus.
00:18:31I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program.
00:18:35We don't hide our space program.
00:18:37We don't keep secrets and cover things up.
00:18:40We do it all up front and in public.
00:18:43That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute.
00:18:58Oh, it's immense.
00:19:00This is an identical craft.
00:19:02No, it's a training simulator.
00:19:04But for your purposes, the flight deck systems, the payload bay, etc., virtually identical.
00:19:17That's good.
00:19:18Want to see the flight deck?
00:19:29Shit.
00:19:41you have four human beings jammed in this space can i sit here yeah
00:19:49wow
00:19:53okay they got s-band communication links environmental control systems
00:19:59cabin pressure gauges what is that emergency oxygen don't touch things
00:20:10hmm
00:20:10come on
00:20:23take fine when i'm on the commission i got nothing to hide
00:20:31i was to ask you engineers never mind what the managers say about you guys given all your experience what
00:20:38you thought the probability was of an accident on any single lodge what would you say
00:20:51if you don't want to say how loud perhaps you could write down on a piece of paper
00:21:09so you're looking at the solid rocket boosters
00:21:12okay so they're not made here no they're made by our contractors morton thiokol in utah railroaded into kennedy and
00:21:21in section
00:21:22that's a pretty standard tang and clevis joint
00:21:24look there's no ways it was the solid rocket boosters
00:21:27how so certain because they don't fly with holes in them
00:21:31yes if it was the srb it would have exploded on the launch pad
00:21:34these kept on flying you see it in the footage
00:21:36you watch the footage tell me what you saw
00:21:39what went through your mind
00:21:41what did you think it was
00:21:43i thought it was the main engines
00:21:45okay why why the main engines
00:21:47because of the complexity
00:21:48they're working at the outer edge of any experience base
00:21:52in the blade technology
00:21:54no no no it's more than the blades it's
00:21:56hey
00:21:58there is no ways that i'm ratting out my co-workers here
00:22:01look pal
00:22:02if we're not allowed to find out what went wrong
00:22:04there will be no more co-workers
00:22:07all these jobs will be gone
00:22:08kaput
00:22:11won't be another shuttle launch
00:22:16of the events on the morning of the 28th of january
00:22:19the presidential commission investigating the accident
00:22:22headed by former secretary of state william rogers
00:22:24has met mostly behind closed doors
00:22:29so far it's given no hints about what it believes may have been the cost
00:22:36meanwhile off the coast of florida the hunter challenger wreckage continues
00:22:40the combined nasa naval and coast guard operation involving 14 ships for submarines and 11 aircraft
00:22:45is combing hundreds of square miles of ocean
00:22:48although nasa today released pictures showing recovered debris
00:22:50they've been unable to confirm if they found the crew compartment
00:22:54in the absence of detailed information about what happened to challenger
00:22:57speculation about the cause of the accident continues to grow
00:23:00recent theories include everything from a computer programming error to unusually strong winds
00:23:14so far
00:23:14the
00:23:14the
00:23:14the
00:23:14the
00:23:14the
00:23:14the
00:23:18the
00:23:19the
00:23:20the
00:23:22the
00:23:43Chairman Rogers, the boat's, uh, just pulled in the crew compartment.
00:23:52Can you tell me, was the oxygen activated?
00:23:57Yes, Dr. Ride, it was.
00:24:02We, uh, maybe won't make that public straight away.
00:24:07Excuse me.
00:24:24Dr. Feynman, it's very important that this team stays together all the time.
00:24:32Why?
00:24:35It's been reported to me that you spent some time at Marshall, alone.
00:24:40That's not very helpful.
00:24:41Oh, Mr. Rogers, I don't find it helpful to stand around.
00:24:46The other commissioners are just being respectful.
00:24:50And you're saying I'm not?
00:24:54You understand the implications of the oxygen being activated?
00:24:58I do.
00:24:59The astronauts had to do that themselves, which means that they were alive for at least some
00:25:07of those two minutes and 36 seconds before they slammed into the ocean.
00:25:11Mr. Rogers, I'm an atheist, and I personally doubt that they're touching the face of God,
00:25:15so I prefer to show my respect by finding the cause of their appalling deaths and not
00:25:18stand around looking sad.
00:25:23You know, I didn't even want to be on this commission, but now that I'm on it, I got every
00:25:27intention of finding out what went wrong.
00:25:29You know, I don't know that NASA did an excellent job.
00:25:44The group will be leaving in 30 minutes, except for General Kutina.
00:25:49He's made his own arrangements.
00:25:50I also may have my own arrangements.
00:25:55I can't force you to go.
00:25:57Nope.
00:26:17Are you going to work all night?
00:26:23Uh, if necessary. I don't know.
00:26:26How do you plan to get back to Washington?
00:26:28Uh, I got myself on kind of a pickle.
00:26:31I want to go back to Marshall.
00:26:34I guess I'll hire a car by hundreds of miles.
00:26:37Well, I can give you a lift. I'll drop you in Alabama.
00:26:40Oh.
00:26:43Here, post 600.
00:26:45Okay.
00:26:57Well, I may not get a limo, but occasionally I get the use of a government jet.
00:27:02No.
00:27:03You imagine I was going to drive you 400 miles?
00:27:05This is tremendous.
00:27:09New for you?
00:27:11You're serious?
00:27:12No.
00:27:13No.
00:27:15Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
00:27:20It's okay.
00:27:21Number 105, great.
00:27:22Tell me, please.
00:27:23More belt.
00:27:28You know what you have to realize is that you are uniquely dependent.
00:27:34Yeah, how's that?
00:27:35Well, everyone on the commission has strong associations.
00:27:40So how?
00:27:42Well, to NASA, Armstrong, Ride, the government, Keele, Rogers was Secretary of State,
00:27:48and Bill Graham's even a personal friend of President Reagan's.
00:27:52And you?
00:27:53Me, the Air Force.
00:27:56How does the Air Force...
00:27:57Air Force 390-265.
00:27:59Level 420.
00:28:01Heading 320.
00:28:03265.
00:28:06How does the Air Force...
00:28:08You're the only independent.
00:28:09I'm independent.
00:28:11I'm invincible.
00:28:13Yeah, but check six.
00:28:15What check six?
00:28:16That's a fighter pilot's expression at six o'clock.
00:28:21The blind spot directly behind you.
00:28:26Watch my ass.
00:28:31Okay, watch your ass here.
00:28:34What?
00:28:34It's a little steep.
00:29:00That's what we call the diamond.
00:29:01Wow, now that is very beautiful.
00:29:11What the hell?
00:29:13You happy with that, with that vibration?
00:29:15Don't worry, it steadies again after 65%.
00:29:21But to get to 65%, you gotta go through that?
00:29:25Sometimes, yeah.
00:29:31Can I see components?
00:29:33The blades?
00:29:43What is that?
00:29:46It's a crack in this blade.
00:29:49Yeah, it is an obvious crack.
00:30:01Yeah.
00:30:02The blades often get those after a flight, but that's not a flight safety problem.
00:30:07Well, what is it then?
00:30:08We were told to lock it as a maintenance problem.
00:30:10Only if it develops into a full fracture, that would be a failure.
00:30:14So a failure only happens if it actually shears off?
00:30:17Uh-huh.
00:30:19A failure is the crack.
00:30:23Well, you could argue that failure is the crack, I mean, because it's not in the design.
00:30:27You know what I know is not supposed to crack.
00:30:35Who has the rest of the test data?
00:30:41Is that it?
00:30:41That's it.
00:30:50No.
00:31:51As early as 1,375 seconds, equivalent to full power level.
00:31:56Also, at 4,000 hertz, there's some nasty vibrations.
00:32:00So you think the cause lies within the engine?
00:32:02I bet my last dime on it. I just got back from Marshall.
00:32:05I just heard an interesting new definition of the word failure.
00:32:09Well, it's interesting that you should say that, Doctor.
00:32:12We've just received the telemetry data from NASA, and the sensors on the engines show that they performed absolutely perfectly.
00:32:21Get out of here.
00:32:23The engines began to shut down as fuel pressure decreased, exactly as designed.
00:32:31Well, that's extremely lucky, because I'm telling you, those engines have profound problems.
00:32:36Now, there is a step-by-step process for us all to follow.
00:32:41And I respectfully request that, from now on, you abide by it.
00:32:48We're all trying to find the answer.
00:32:52All right.
00:32:54Shall we begin?
00:32:58Step by step.
00:33:02All right.
00:33:08Prof.
00:33:12Don't let the chairman put you off.
00:33:16Look, you should come by the house tonight for a bite if that appeals.
00:33:21Yeah?
00:33:22Okay, good. Excuse me for a second.
00:33:24Listen, I robbed that stuff.
00:33:25Graham, why didn't I know that we had the results from the sensors on the engines?
00:33:30NASA drip-feeding us information to suit itself.
00:33:33I hear you.
00:33:34Doing this with one hand tied behind my back.
00:33:37I hear you, but...
00:33:40Richard?
00:33:46You okay?
00:33:54I'll see you tomorrow.
00:34:09I goofed.
00:34:12I thought I had the answer. It was way off.
00:34:15So what are you gonna do?
00:34:16Are you gonna stick with it?
00:34:18I don't know.
00:34:23Listen, there's a knock on the door. I'll call you later.
00:34:26All right, I'll go.
00:34:56I'm not sure what they chose to do.
00:34:59Just lay them out in this order, just didn't want to tell them.
00:35:02But this is half that.
00:35:06Chairman Rogers.
00:35:07Those would be the same.
00:35:09This is half that.
00:35:09NASA's failure analysis team supplied a still from camera E-207 trained on flight.
00:35:20Seems like it took a long time for this photograph to appear.
00:35:23Well, it's here now.
00:35:25What is that?
00:35:29A flame coming from a position on the side of the solid rocket booster?
00:35:35Did we know that?
00:35:35Did we know that already?
00:35:42We get stills from other angles, am I right?
00:35:47They had cameras all around.
00:35:48Yes.
00:35:49Some of the cameras that were looking directly at the area were not working on the day, I'm told.
00:36:01Well, that's unfortunate.
00:36:09Can I have that, please?
00:36:10Of course.
00:36:27Am I super late?
00:36:28I had to pick this up at the lab.
00:36:30No, no, it's not a problem.
00:36:31Nice car.
00:36:33You like it?
00:36:34I like it.
00:36:35I love it.
00:36:37I don't know if that enlargement's going to tell us anything.
00:36:40Let's see.
00:36:43Well, it's somewhat clear, no?
00:36:45No, that just makes the whole thing wider open.
00:36:46The flame is sharper.
00:36:47But that flame, where is it originating?
00:36:49And perhaps what we're seeing is the tip of a larger flame on the other side where there's no damn
00:36:53camera.
00:36:55A flame is not a cause.
00:36:57A flame is an effect.
00:36:59It's a symptom.
00:37:01It doesn't tell us which component.
00:37:03Split, sheared off, cracked.
00:37:05It shows us nothing.
00:37:08It takes us nowhere.
00:37:11I want to show you something.
00:37:12Multiple successful launches, identical components, and launch locations.
00:37:17So what made that day special?
00:37:19What were the variables?
00:37:21Take a break, Prof.
00:37:36Oh, you lucky fella.
00:37:38Yeah, I'd be lucky if I could get it running.
00:37:41It's out of commission.
00:37:42Yeah, the carburetor's seasoned this weather.
00:37:49This must be how you stay calm.
00:37:52Roger the Dodger has got me going crazy with the process of his.
00:37:58He's a lawyer.
00:37:59He's working it through the way he knows.
00:38:01Yeah, well, maybe some others are kind of working it through the way they know.
00:38:05What, you think somebody's working it for themselves?
00:38:08Do you?
00:38:10It's Washington, after all.
00:38:12Yeah, I can't believe I got myself back in this world.
00:38:14Government, politics, military guys like me.
00:38:19You're surprisingly okay.
00:38:24I guess you had your fill of military personnel through the 40s, so.
00:38:33What was your role back then?
00:38:37When?
00:38:39During the war, with the A-bond.
00:38:45I did the theoretical figuring.
00:38:49It was the math.
00:38:51I calculated how much fissionable material would be necessary to make an effective weapon.
00:39:00It's not a good use of science.
00:39:10You helped end the war.
00:39:11Yeah.
00:39:15Wow.
00:39:16This is beautiful.
00:39:19Shall we try that Bordeaux?
00:39:21You go ahead.
00:39:22I no longer drink.
00:39:23I drink.
00:39:23I can't think.
00:39:35Oh, sir, we had maintenance look at your heating.
00:39:38Oh, thank you.
00:39:39Let me know if you still feel chilly.
00:39:41Yeah.
00:39:51Could you help me find the number of the National Weather Service?
00:40:00Can I borrow this?
00:40:02Sure.
00:40:03Yeah, please.
00:40:05Um, not a forecast.
00:40:07Uh, temperature at Cape Canaveral, nearby.
00:40:11Yeah, Jacksonville, Florida, on the morning of the 28th of January.
00:40:36That's the variable.
00:40:40I got the variable.
00:40:42It was freezing cold in the morning of the launch.
00:40:44We need to focus our questioning of the NASA managers on stuff to do with temperature.
00:40:49Temperature?
00:40:50You talking about ice?
00:40:50I don't know.
00:40:51Perhaps out of weight of ice.
00:40:52Perhaps some metal component becoming brittle.
00:40:55I don't know which component.
00:40:56There are only two and a half million possibilities.
00:40:58I'm pretty certain.
00:41:00Certain as you were about the engines?
00:41:04Not...
00:41:10Anything from NASA failure analysis?
00:41:13I'll do this afternoon.
00:41:16Dr. Feynman's becoming a real pain in the ass.
00:41:21Well, yeah.
00:41:26You betcha.
00:41:27You betcha.
00:41:31There are only two, think, in the air.
00:41:38You betcha.
00:41:39There are only two.
00:41:40All right, sir.
00:41:40You betcha.
00:41:43You betcha.
00:41:47You betcha.
00:41:50You betcha.
00:41:53You betcha.
00:41:54You betcha.
00:41:56You betcha.
00:42:14Dr. Weiss?
00:42:15There.
00:42:19What are you doing here?
00:42:21Well, if the mountain won't go to Muhammad,
00:42:24you didn't answer my calls.
00:42:26So you tracked me down all the way across the country?
00:42:29No, no, no.
00:42:30I'm at Washington Hospital Center for a conference.
00:42:32You got an hour to come over there?
00:42:34Now?
00:42:35Yeah.
00:42:38Sure.
00:42:39Hold on.
00:42:42Um, I need to get this delivered to Dr. Keogh,
00:42:46Presidential Commission, this address.
00:42:49It's extremely important that I get there.
00:42:51Yes, sir.
00:42:56Good to see you.
00:42:58Hi.
00:43:10Another vengeance?
00:43:13Mm-hmm.
00:43:15It's compromising your remaining kidney.
00:43:19Show me the cells.
00:43:21Sure.
00:43:34Okay.
00:43:35That is not so pretty.
00:43:38I read up my chances if my sarcoma recurred.
00:43:42What's the deal if we add in this lymphoma?
00:43:45It's pretty difficult to calculate the decline.
00:43:47Don't.
00:43:48Wazel it, Doc.
00:43:49It's meth.
00:43:50Look, Dick.
00:43:51It's not something we see.
00:43:53The particular cancers you have,
00:43:55they're extremely rare.
00:43:57Chance of having them in conjunction.
00:44:00Yeah, but given what you were doing during the war...
00:44:02Mm-hmm.
00:44:03It could even matter.
00:44:07What do you think?
00:44:08Well, the radiation, a lot of safety precautions were there.
00:44:11For the test, I...
00:44:14For the test, I had a pair of dark glasses, which I never put on.
00:44:18Jeez, they were...
00:44:20They were crazy days.
00:44:23We never slept.
00:44:25And we were on fire, you know, getting the theory and the math and the physics.
00:44:31It was a race.
00:44:32We thought we were saving civilization, but then we found out the Germans didn't have nuclear capability.
00:44:37We kept on.
00:44:38Science was so exciting.
00:44:49Should have stopped.
00:44:52We threw a party.
00:44:54Most people struggled and died.
00:44:56We threw a party.
00:44:57Hey, you were young.
00:44:59I wasn't a child.
00:45:02Yeah.
00:45:15I guess we'll talk on the phone.
00:45:17Sure.
00:45:20I think there are probably worse ways to go.
00:45:25Hey.
00:45:26Yeah?
00:45:27It's possibly lymphoma.
00:45:30The blood gets gummy.
00:45:32Capillaries lose them.
00:45:33Thanks.
00:45:35Yeah, I just taught me components that are flexible.
00:45:39Like, what about a solid rocket booster?
00:45:42Go ahead.
00:45:48Thank you, Louis.
00:45:50Hey.
00:45:51I thought this might be helpful.
00:45:53It's a section model of the SRB joint.
00:45:56I don't want to see a model.
00:45:58I want to see the real thing.
00:46:00Oh.
00:46:01Oh.
00:46:03Oh.
00:46:09So there are two O-rings, and they squidge in here.
00:46:14Correct.
00:46:16Has there ever been a history of problems with them?
00:46:19Well, there has been some erosion, even some blow-by.
00:46:22Blow-by is what?
00:46:24So, getting past the first O-ring.
00:46:27No, I mean that the seal is incomplete.
00:46:29Right, but the manufacturer said that...
00:46:31Morton Thiokol.
00:46:32Right.
00:46:32Thiokol said that the blow-by never got past the second O-ring.
00:46:36Never.
00:46:36But if something prevented the O-ring from doing its job,
00:46:42if it became rigid,
00:46:44because, for example, it was cold...
00:46:58I think what we're looking at is the O-rings within the seal of the SRB.
00:47:04Lower temperatures would diminish the flexibility.
00:47:06Rubber would get harder, less malleable.
00:47:08At a certain point, it would be too rigid to move into the gap.
00:47:14Bill, I need any data NASA have on the timings of Springback,
00:47:20resilience of the SRB O-rings in response to the temperature.
00:47:25Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
00:47:28Just a reminder that we have many witnesses today,
00:47:31and the press will be in the room.
00:47:34Yeah.
00:47:35Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to call the commission to order,
00:47:38so please take your seats, make yourselves comfortable.
00:47:45Pilot to co-pilot, fix your hair.
00:47:48Our first witness is Mr. Molloy.
00:47:51Mr. Molloy, would you come forward and identify yourself, please?
00:47:55I am Lawrence Molloy,
00:47:57Solid Rocket Booster Project Manager for NASA
00:48:00at the Marshall Space Flag Center.
00:48:02All right.
00:48:03Commissioners, anyone?
00:48:04Anyone?
00:48:08Dr. Rye.
00:48:11Mr. Molloy,
00:48:13in your position at the Marshall Space Flight Center,
00:48:16you'd be aware of correspondence,
00:48:19memos, et cetera?
00:48:22I guess I'm wondering whether memos exist
00:48:25relating to problems of launching
00:48:28with the O-rings at low temperatures.
00:48:30I understand the morning of the launch was exceptionally cold.
00:48:34I'm not aware of such documents at Marshall.
00:48:39It's not correspondence,
00:48:41but on the evening before the launch,
00:48:43as a matter of routine,
00:48:46those of us from NASA
00:48:47asked our technical people and our contractors
00:48:49if there were any concerns about low temperature.
00:48:54Morton Thiokol,
00:48:56who make the Solid Rocket Boosters,
00:48:58presented us with the fact
00:48:59that the lowest temperature
00:49:00we had ever flown in O-ring
00:49:02was 53 degrees,
00:49:04and they wanted to point out
00:49:07that we would be outside of that experience base.
00:49:10But having heard the discussion,
00:49:12we all concluded
00:49:13that there was no problem
00:49:15with the predicted temperatures.
00:49:17And I have a document
00:49:18from the management of Morton Thiokol
00:49:19to that effect.
00:49:22Well, thank you.
00:49:23Thank you, Mr. Molloy.
00:49:24You may stand down for the time being.
00:49:26There's some guy in the back
00:49:28who wants to say something.
00:49:30I have something to add.
00:49:32I beg your pardon, I need to add
00:49:33to what he said, please.
00:49:35All right, sir.
00:49:36Please, step forward.
00:49:37Step forward.
00:49:37Identify yourself.
00:49:46My name is Alan McDonald.
00:49:49I work for Morton Thiokol.
00:49:51I'm the director
00:49:52of the Solid Rocket Motors project.
00:49:54So I was at the launch
00:49:56at Kennedy.
00:49:57I'd like to say something
00:49:59about the meeting
00:49:59the night before the launch
00:50:00that Mr. Molloy talked about.
00:50:04Our Thiokol engineers
00:50:08warned to NASA.
00:50:11They recommended NASA
00:50:13not to launch below 53 degrees.
00:50:16And I agreed with him.
00:50:17That was the coldest
00:50:18that we knew was safe.
00:50:20So you said
00:50:21not to launch below 53 degrees.
00:50:25And what was the actual
00:50:26temperature that morning?
00:50:28We believed that at launch
00:50:30it was going to be much colder.
00:50:32Below 32 degrees.
00:50:35Below freezing.
00:50:38NASA wasn't happy with that.
00:50:40Larry Molloy
00:50:42said, my God, fire call.
00:50:44When do we launch?
00:50:46April?
00:50:49Let me understand this.
00:50:51Now.
00:50:54Are you saying
00:50:55that NASA applied pressure
00:50:56to change
00:50:58the launch recommendation?
00:51:00Yes, sir.
00:51:01There was pressure.
00:51:03They said, go review the data.
00:51:05Our people in Utah came back
00:51:06and recommended to NASA
00:51:08to launch.
00:51:10I refuse to sign.
00:51:16It is important
00:51:17that NASA be given
00:51:19the opportunity to respond.
00:51:21What's just been alleged?
00:51:23We must allow...
00:51:24What the hell
00:51:25is going on here?
00:51:33Some people say
00:51:34McDonald's not going to CYA.
00:51:35CYA, what is that?
00:51:37That stands for
00:51:37cover your ass.
00:51:38But if they were warned...
00:51:40The astronauts you warned.
00:51:41I want to know
00:51:42what's happening right here
00:51:43between NASA
00:51:43and the contractors.
00:51:45We need to talk more to him.
00:51:47Richard.
00:51:48Richard.
00:51:49The data you wanted
00:51:50and the resistance time
00:51:51of the over-
00:51:51Okay, thanks.
00:51:52We need to hear more from him.
00:51:53Can you stop
00:51:53Mr. McDonald from...
00:51:57Yeah.
00:51:57How do you want to know
00:51:59How do you want me to know
00:52:25who was going to...
00:52:32Hi, I need to contact Alan McDonald with NASA's Challenger Failure Analysis Team.
00:52:38I phoned, but I was told he's no longer in Washington.
00:52:42That information is restricted.
00:52:46He was on the team, but he's been removed?
00:52:49I can't answer that, sir.
00:52:57Look, all I want to do is speak to Alan McDonald.
00:53:01What?
00:53:02So there's no one I can talk to in the whole entirety of Morton Firecall?
00:53:07There's no one who can answer my question?
00:53:10Well, have a nice day.
00:53:45I tried to find McDonald.
00:53:48No luck, but it's clear why his bosses wanted to please NASA.
00:53:52Very big money at stake.
00:53:54I'll catch you later.
00:54:18I'll catch you later.
00:54:27.
00:54:27.
00:54:28.
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00:54:29.
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00:54:31You
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00:57:10You
00:57:11You
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00:57:13You
00:57:14You
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