Truth, Lies, and O-Rings

A Popular Mechanics Best Book Winner of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gardner-Lasser Aerospace History Literature Award Finalist for the American Astronautical Society's Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award What they didn't want you to know On a cold January morning in 1986, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Challenger, despite warnings against doing so by many individuals, including Allan McDonald. The fiery destruction of Challenger on live television moments after launch remains an indelible image in the nation's collective memory. In Truth, Lies, and O-Rings, McDonald, a skilled engineer and executive, relives the tragedy from where he stood at Launch Control Center. As he fought to draw attention to the real reasons behind the disaster, he was the only one targeted for retribution by both NASA and his employer, Morton Thiokol, Inc., makers of the shuttle's solid rocket boosters. In this whistle-blowing yet rigorous and fair-minded book, McDonald, with the assistance of internationally distinguished aerospace historian James R. Hansen, addresses all of the factors that led to the accident, some of which were never included in NASA's Failure Team report submitted to the Presidential Commission. Truth, Lies, and O-Rings is the first look at the Challenger tragedy and its aftermath from someone who was on the inside, recognized the potential disaster, and tried to prevent it. It also addresses the early warnings of very severe debris issues from the first two post-Challenger flights, which ultimately resulted in the loss of Columbia some fifteen years later.

Allan J. McDonald (1937‒2021) retired as vice president and technical director for advanced technology programs at ATK Thiokol Propulsion in 2001. He was the director of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Project at the time of the Challenger accident and, later, vice president of engineering for space operations during the redesign and requalification of the solid rocket motors. James R. Hansen, professor of history and director of the Honors College at Auburn University, is the author of First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong.

Foreword Preface Prologue Part I. Red Flags Chapter 1. When It Rains It Pours Chapter 2. Tests and “No Tests” Chapter 3. Dire Warning Chapter 4. A Total O-Ring Failure Chapter 5. An Impotent Task Force Chapter 6. “In the Interest of Avoiding Pain” Part II. Misdiagnosis Chapter 7. The Teleconference Chapter 8. The Caucus Chapter 9. “Obviously, a Major Malfunction” Chapter 10. “Don't Blame Yourself” Chapter 11. “When Is the Space Shuttle Going Up, Daddy?” Part III. Search for the Truth Chapter 12. Shocking the Presidential Commission Chapter 13. Cover-up Chapter 14. “God, That Took a Lot of Guts” Chapter 15. A Leper in the Limelight Chapter 16. Walking Out Chapter 17. “The Extremes of Allowable Engineering” Chapter 18. Changing Hats and Minds Part IV. Obfuscation Chapter 19. Rationalization and Innuendo Chapter 20. 31 Degrees? Chapter 21. Houston, You Have a Problem Chapter 22. Finger Pointing Chapter 23. The Apocalypse Letter Chapter 24. “Trouble with Your Logic” Chapter 25. The Monkey Changes Backs Part V. Commissioners and Congressmen Chapter 26. The Green Ball Theory Chapter 27. Commencement Chapter 28. Commodore Locke Assailed in Washington Chapter 29. The Buck Stops Here? Part VI. No Consensus Chapter 30. The Bell Tolls for Thee Chapter 31. Redesign and Resurrection Chapter 32. Boisjoly's $2 Billion Lawsuit Chapter 33. No Mountain Too High Chapter 34. The Peacekeeper Explosion Chapter 35. Witness for the Defense ... and Prosecution Chapter 36. Confirming the Silver Bullet Part VII. Return-to-Flight Chapter 37. Flight of the Phoenix Chapter 38. Premonitions Chapter 39. Dissolution Chapter 40. Requiem Acknowledgments Big Sky Values: A Biography of Allan J. McDonald List of Abbreviations Bibliographical Essay Further Reading Index