Challenger explosion

belle204

I grew up around the "Rocket City" and NASA/The Space and Rocket Center is about less than 10 minutes from my house. I was just reading an article in the local paper on the explosion and it still makes me sad to know that Marshall Space Flight Center (the branch of NASA that worked on the propulsion system) played such an integral role in the disaster. They *knew* there was a potential problem and did nothing to stop it. I wish they had gone with "better safe than sorry" and scrubbed the launch.

https://blog.al.com/space-news/2011/01/space_shuttle_challenger_disas.html

 

Ciarrai

It really is such a tragedy in so many ways.  It was a large part of our Engineering Ethics class we had to take.  There were three or four different reasons they should have scrubbed the launch.

belle204

Right. The O-rings, the weather, etc. Such a shame.

ridesbuttons

Do engineers in the US wear iron rings?

belle204

... iron rings ????

Ciarrai

ridesbuttons:

Do engineers in the US wear iron rings?

Not usually.  It's a Canadian thing.  I got mine, though, at school through the Order of the Engineer ceremony.  Some schools/engineers get theirs.  Others don't.  Our manufacturing engineering professor was big on them and he also taught the ethics class.

The iron rings are from Order of the Engineer Society that has to do with engineering ethics.  The ring is worn on the pinky of your dominant hand.  The idea is that it will constantly be hitting the papers and whatnot as you work and reminding engineers of their obligations to public safety and ethics in general - to be professionals not just workers. 

ETA: Wiki Link - And I always thought it was the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.