y clouds of smoke and flame came from the solidfuel rocket boosters. Unknown to anyone in the cabin or on the ground, there wasa jet of flame around the giant orange fuel tank coming from the right-handbooster rocket. Seventy-three seconds after lift-off the Challenger suddenlydisappeared amid a cataclysmic explosion which ripped the fuel tank from nose totail (Timothy 441). The explosion occurred as Challenger was 10.35 miles highand 8.05 miles downrange from the cape, speeding toward space at 1,977 mph.Lost along with the $1.2 billion spacecraft were a $100 million satellite thatwas to have become an important part of NASA's communications network(Associated Press 217). Pictures taken revealed that even after the enormousexplosion occurred the cockpit remained somewhat intact. Aerodynamic pressureexerted on the human passengers would have killed anyone who survived theexplosion. The remains of the shuttle were spread over miles of ocean. Overhalf were recovered.In comparison, both disasters were preventable. Both disasters had amain explosion or malfunction, but even if there were survivors they would havedied because there was no escape. The Challenger disaster was mainly a lot ofpeople wanting to get better jobs and more money, or simply to get on the goodside of someone. The Apollo 4 had many problems which should have been caught.Apollo 4 had many deficiencies: loose, shoddy wiring, excessive use ofcombustible materials in spite of a 100 percent oxygen atmosphere, inadequateprovisions for rescue, and a three layer, ninety plus second hatch. TheChallenger had faulty O-rings, icicles, and bad management which threatened tobring the entire american astronaut program to an end. Over a billion dollarswas lost all together.Both disasters could have been prevented if the time, effort, andfunding was spent. Many people involved in both disasters were either lazy orgreedy....
