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Space Shuttle Report Blames NASA Culture for Accident

HeadlineAug 27, 2003

A report on the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia predicted that NASA would suffer similar tragedies killing more astronauts if it did not transform its quote “broken safety culture.” The report focused on both the physical errors that caused Columbia to explode on its on Feb. 1 mission as well as the work culture at NASA. The explosion that killed seven marked the second time in 20 years that a Space Shuttle blew up. Investigators determined NASA’s engineering had grown careless, its safety system was flawed, and communication within the agency was muddled. NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe was also cited for creating the problematic culture. The board did recommend the government should spend more money on NASA but one analyst told the New York Times, “The problem is, the program is worthless. It doesn’t involve anything worth dying for.”

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