| As impressive as some our modern inventions | | | | On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle |
| may seem, there is always a chance for our | | | | Challenger disintegrated off the coast of Florida |
| designs to fail. To err is human, as the old adage | | | | causing the deaths of its seven crew members. It |
| states. Major endeavors, such as the design and | | | | is believed that an O-ring seal on the right solid |
| construction of a new building, rely on the | | | | rocket booster failed, causing a breach in the joint |
| collective knowledge of hundreds of individuals. | | | | and allowing hot, pressurized gas from within the |
| Having said that, the success of any project will | | | | rocket motor to escape. This led to the structural |
| depend greatly on the weakest link in the chain of | | | | failure of the external tank and precipitated, with |
| knowledge. This is precisely the reason mechanical | | | | the assistance of aerodynamic forces, the |
| engineering jobs are in such high demand. The | | | | complete breakup of the vehicle. The failure of |
| following is a collection of the three worst | | | | the O-rings was attributed to a faulty design by |
| engineering failures in the modern era. | | | | the Rogers Commission. |
| Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster | | | | |